What makes chroming especially dangerous is how casual and innocent it seems.
The products are legal. They’re in every supermarket. They’re marketed for personal care, not drug use. That illusion of safety is part of what makes it so deadly.
From Grief to Purpose
Paul and Andrea Haynes had never heard the word chroming before their daughter’s death. Now, they’re on a mission to make sure other families do.
Their message to parents is clear:
Don’t wait for tragedy to start the conversation.
Talk to your children about dangerous trends, even if they sound ridiculous.
Ask questions about what they’re seeing on social media.
Educate them early, before peers or the internet do it for you.
The Haynes family is also calling for greater public awareness, reformulation of aerosol products, and better education in schools—including first aid and CPR training for all students, so kids are prepared if something ever goes wrong.
A Community in Mourning
Esra’s death didn’t just break her family—it rippled through her school, her sports teams, and the broader community. Teammates, teachers, friends, and parents who had never heard of chroming were suddenly faced with the reality that it could happen anywhere. To anyone.
Her siblings—Imogen, Seth, and Charlie—now carry the weight of a sister lost too soon. Her parents are learning how to grieve while turning their pain into a campaign for change.
Final Thoughts
Esra Haynes should still be here—riding bikes with her brothers, captaining her aerobics team, laughing with friends at another sleepover. Her death is a devastating reminder of how a single moment, a split-second decision, can have lifelong consequences.
But her story doesn’t have to end in silence.
By speaking up, her family hopes to protect others. To spark conversations. To change laws. To save lives.
As heartbreaking as it is, Esra’s story may be the wake-up call that prevents another young life from being lost to a reckless trend. Let it be the reason a parent sits down tonight and talks to their child. Let it be the moment awareness turns into action.
Because no family should ever have to go through what the Haynes family now lives with every single day.