Kyra Hall
A mom has issued an urgent warning after her teenage daughter died from chroming.
Brooke Ryan, from Broken Hill, New South Wales, Australia, was described as a bright student and talented athlete who played basketball, netball, and soccer.
She reportedly had big hopes for the future and was considering becoming a lawyer, physiotherapist, or beautician.
Yet tragically, Brooke would be found by her mother, Anne Ryan, dead in her bedroom. She was just 16 years old.
Now, her mom is speaking out and warning others.
In an interview with ABC, Anne opened up about her daughter and how like many teenagers, she experienced anxiety, especially during the pandemic.
Brooke’s mom told the outlet: “She was certainly on the right track. She’d done some hard yards but she knew that she needed help and she was getting the support that she needed to help continue living the life that she was.”
Anne found her daughter unresponsive in her bedroom with a tea towel and deodorant can underneath her in February 2022.
Before Brooke’s passing, she had never heard of chroming.
Anne now hopes schools will teach students about the dangers of chroming, also known as huffing or sniffing.
When discussing the matter with ABC, the mom questioned: “Are we keeping up with the 21st century in the way that children now resort to using different methods and different ways to make themselves feel a certain way that they think they’re not feeling?”
Chroming is a general term that describes inhaling volatile substances/solvents as recreational drugs, per the Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne.
It’s a trend that is more common among adolescents and young adults.
Chroming can expose a person to harm, with Phoenix Rise reporting common symptoms such as abnormal heart rate, damage to the brain and central nervous system, and respiratory distress, among other issues.
The Sydney Morning Herald reported that although the coroner’s report hadn’t been handed down, Anne suspected her daughter died as a result of chroming.
Her mom believed it was sudden sniffing death syndrome, which is when a person goes into cardiac arrest or heart failure after abusing an inhalent, as per Arch Academy.
Although this is a severe and rare outcome, it can happen to anyone who partakes in chroming.
Anne had no idea Brooke was using inhalants but now, she’s warning other parents of the important signs to look out for.
Signs may include frequent headaches or headache pill usage, excessive use of deodorant or other aerosols, the smell in their bedroom, and white patches in towels or tea towels.
Anne is also calling for better labeling on aerosol cans so others can be made aware.
Remembering her daughter, the mom added: “She was a beautiful girl with a heart of gold, who’s just so sorely missed, and would be absolutely devastated to know the negative impact she’s had on so many people from her death.”
Brooke leaves behind her mother, father Deon, three older brothers, her boyfriend, and a huge circle of friends.
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