A 13-year-old Australian woman who was staying at a friend’s house is believed to have died after inhaling the chemicals in a deodorant spray to temporarily cause a stir – a trend believed to be popular with young people is.
“It was the most difficult and traumatic time a parent could go through. “We didn’t sleep, we hardly ate, we didn’t smile – we’re not ourselves anymore,” said Paul Haynes, the young victim’s father, in an interview with Australia’s Sunrise programme.
The father of the family received a call last month with an urgent request to pick up his 13-year-old daughter Esra Haynes, who had just passed out during a slumber party in Melbourne, Australia.
In the evening, the young girl is said to have inhaled deodorant spray to create a temporary “high”, comparable to the effects of certain drugs. Other youth would use metal paints, solvents, gasoline and household chemicals, among other things.
This trend, which is attracting some young people, can lead to heart problems and pain in addition to affecting the brain, liver and kidneys, the media continued, according to an Australian federal government website.
“In the end, we had to make the decision to turn off his life support. It was really devastating, devastating for everyone involved, including all his friends,” the father continued, hinting that his brain hasn’t recovered yet.
Devastated by the loss of their healthy daughter, who was most notably a co-captain of the soccer team, the family wanted to tell her story to warn other parents and prevent other young people from being tempted to do the same.
“If it had been brought to our attention and word had spread, we would have discussed it at the dinner table. [Les parents] They need to sit down to discuss with their children and just kindly open the conversation with them. We certainly didn’t know what was going on,” he added to Australian media.