When Paul and Andrea Haynes sent their 13-year-old daughter, Esra, to a friend’s sleepover in March 2023, they never imagined it would be the last time they saw her alive. Esra tragically lost her life after participating in a dangerous trend called chroming, and her parents are now sharing their story to prevent other families from experiencing the same heartbreak.
Chroming involves inhaling chemicals from aerosol cans, such as deodorant, to achieve a quick high. Esra suffered a cardiac arrest shortly after trying it and was rushed to the hospital. Despite the best efforts of medical professionals, she sustained irreversible brain damage. After eight days, her parents made the agonizing decision to turn off her life support.
Paul and Andrea are now advocating for change. They want aerosol manufacturers to reconsider their product formulations and social media platforms to take greater responsibility for monitoring harmful trends. “For me, it’s like a pistol sitting on the shelf,” Paul said. “Manufacturers need to make changes to prevent this from happening.”
The Haynes family also hopes to raise awareness about the dangers of chroming. “Kids don’t look beyond the next day,” Paul explained. “They don’t understand the consequences. If Esra had known, she never would have done it.”
Their story is a heartbreaking reminder of the importance of open conversations between parents and children. “We’ve got no child to bring home,” Andrea said. “Her name meant ‘helper,’ and that’s what we’re here to do—help others.”
