Ally Langdon tears up alongside parents of Esra Haynes, 13, who died after ‘chroming’

Ally Langdon has burst into tears while speaking to the devastated parents of a teenage girl who died after inhaling toxic household chemicals to get high.

Esra Haynes, 13, went into cardiac arrest after breathing in deodorant during a sleep-over in north-east Melbourne over the Easter long weekend.

Andrea and Paul Haynes recounted the nightmare moment they received a call telling them: ‘Come and get your daughter.’

When Andrea arrived at the home, police and paramedics were trying desperately to resuscitate her.

She was placed on life support soon after arriving at hospital, where she would remained until her death eight days later.

‘We though we would bring her home,’ Andrea said. 

‘We still had hope, we did not think the worst,’ Paul said.

Although her parents were optimistic their little girl would recover, a scan revealed Esra had sustained irreparable brain damage.

The couple were forced to make the painful decision to turn off Esra’s life support, and were told to bring in friends and family to say their final goodbyes to the teenager on her deathbed.

‘She was put onto a bed so we could lay with her,’ a heartbroken Paul said.

‘We cuddled her until he end.’

Ms Langdon was visibly overwhelmed by the parents’ memories of their final day with Esra, and teared up alongside them.

The alarming trend of ingesting chrome-based paint and other household chemicals, including deodorant and even bug spray, has claimed the lives of more than a dozen young Australians since 2009. 

Andrea and Paul are now attempting to help educate children to the effects of chroming and prevent more deaths like Esra’s.

‘It’s unquestionable that this will be our crusade,’ Paul told the Herald Sun.

‘No matter how much you lead a horse to water, anyone can drag them away. It’s not something she would have done on her own.’

Paul said the loss has left their family completely ‘broken’, with Esra’s three siblings, Imogen, Seth and Charlie ‘shattered’ she is gone.

From a young age, Esra showed immense promise as an athlete, and led her team to a national aerobics champion in Queensland in Year 6.

She also raced BMX bikes alongside her brothers and was voted co-captain of her under-14s netball team.

‘Esra was determined, fun, cheeky and talented, she will be greatly missed by her teammates, coaches, and the wider community of our club,’ the Montrose Football Netball Club said in a heartfelt statement.

Her distraught friends described her as the ‘one girl who could put a smile on anyone’s face no matter what.’

‘There wasn’t one day in the past three years you’ve not made my day by your contagious laugh and gorgeous smile,’ her friend Abbey wrote on Facebook in a touching tribute.

‘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.’

‘I’ll stay trying to make you proud. and continue doing the things that made you happy. I endlessly love and miss you Esra. Rest In Paradise my love.’

The Victorian Department of Education is providing counseling support for students and staff.

‘Lilydale High School and the Department of Education extend our deepest condolences to the family and friends of a Year 8 student who died over the weekend,’ the department said.

‘Our hearts go out to the families, community and school that have been impacted by this tragic incident and the school will continue to provide support as required for all affected.’

Part of the reason chroming has become so rampant across various parts of Australia is the ease of which young people can purchase aerosol canisters.

Coles, Kmart and Woolworths in a 2021 trial locked up their aerosol products behind a glass screen in the Outback town of Mount Isa, where children as young as seven were found to be sniffing the toxic fumes on a daily basis.

The practice is now common-place across Queensland stores in Cairns, Townsville, Brisbane, Logan and the Gold Coast as well as many supermarkets in the Northern Territory, WA and SA.

Chrome-based spray paint across all Australian jurisdictions is also restricted to anyone under the age of 18.