'I’m sharing this photo of my girl so other parents don’t suffer what I have'
The heartbroken family of a teen who died after trying "chroming" has spoken out to warn other parents of the deadly internet trend.
Esra Haynes, 13, took part in the huffing craze while at a sleepover with her Year 8 pals in Melbourne, Australia on March 31 this year.
Her grieving parents Paul and Andrea told A Current Affair: "It was just the regular routine of going to hang out with her mates.
“We always knew where she was and we knew who she was with. It wasn’t anything out of the ordinary.
"To get this phone call at that time of night, it was one of the calls no parent ever wants to have to receive and we unfortunately got that call: ‘Come and get your daughter.’
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Esra Haynes, 13, was a promising sportswoman, competing on the national aerobics team (9 News)“We’ve got the pictures in our mind which will never be erased, you know, of what we were confronted with.”
After inhaling the chemicals, Esra suffered a cardiac arrest and was rushed to hospital.
She was quickly put on life support and remained on it for most of her stay, but at one point her parents had hoped she could have been brought home.
But a subsequent scan showed an irreparable brain injury.
Esra's heartbroken parents Paul and Andrea (9 News)It took just eight days after the scan before she passed away, with her parents and siblings cuddling her "until the end".
Paul said: "She was put onto a bed so we could lay with her.
"We cuddled her until he end."
Reports of "chroming" - which involves huffing toxic chemicals commonly found in aerosol products like deodorant and bug spray - first emerged in 2009 but have been gaining traction on TikTok more recently.
The inhalation of solvents can give a brief high, which is often compared to alcohol.
She spent eight months in hospital and there had been hope she may have pulled through (9 News)Speaking to local media, Esra's parents have issued a warning to parents in the hopes that other young children will be spared tragedy as a result of the craze.
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Paul told the Herald Sun : "It's unquestionable that this will be our crusade."
Esra’s sister, Imogen, told : “We definitely have a mission to raise awareness for kids and anyone that does it.
“We don’t want that to happen to anyone else. We don’t want another family to go through this, it’s absolutely horrible.”
A scan showed she had suffered an irreparable brain injury (9 News)The 13-year-old was a promising aerobics competitor, leading a national team. She also rode BMX bikes and co-lead her school's netball team.
After her death, grief-wracked friends took to social media to detail their memories of Esra.
One pal described her as a "girl who could put a smile on anyone's face no matter what".
Another friend, Abbey, added: "There wasn't one day in the past three years you've not made my day by your contagious laugh and gorgeous smile.
"My heart aches and it doesn't feel real knowing I'll have to say goodbye to you Esra. You're so young. You were gone too soon."
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