Girl of 12 dies after inhaling gas from deodorant
A FAMILY whose 12-year- old daughter died after inhaling deodorant spray have launched a campaign warning youngsters of the dangers of aerosol abuse.
Jess Anderson was found unconscious in her bedroom with cans of deodorant beside her.
The day before she died, her mother Theresa Herbert, 48, had found her in a ‘zombified’ state in her room but she did not seek medical help because her daughter quickly returned to normal.
An inquest has ruled out suicide and concluded Jess’s death was the result of a ‘tragic error of judgment’.
Mrs Herbert and Jess’s twin brother Tom are now working with a youth
‘Thought she was doing homework’
charity to set up The Jessi Trust to raise awareness of the dangers of aerosol abuse in youngsters.
Mrs Herbert, from Quedgeley, Gloucestershire, said yesterday: ‘There are plenty of parents out there who have no idea this is happening. We need to promote awareness to parents, young people and children, because I certainly did not have a clue what was happening.
‘Tom was literally saying only the other day that this should not have happened to Jess, but we didn’t know what was going on.’
Jess had gone to school as usual on November 20 last year, the day she died. She and Tom had met their father Chris Anderson, 60, who is separated from their mother, before school so he could give them tuck money. When Jess returned home, her mother gave her £10 to go to the shop and buy food. Having gone out, she went up to her room, where her mother thought she was doing homework.
The inquest at Gloucester Coroner’s Court last month heard Tom later found Jess lying face-down on her bed.
When he could not wake his sister, their mother called 999. Jess was then taken to Bristol Children’s Hospital, where she was declared dead.
Propane and butane gases, typically found in deodorants, were present in Jess’s brain and lung tissue, the inquest heard. An inquiry revealed the youngster had received help from social services for ‘problems’, but was dealing with these ‘admirably’. It was also heard she was doing well in school and enjoyed football.
However, Mrs Herbert was not aware her daughter had any issues, other than that she used to scratch herself, it was said.
In a statement, her parents said Jess was the ‘life and soul of everything that she did, and beautiful inside and out’. She was one of four, including Tom.
Richard Johnson, her head teacher at Severn Vale School, said: ‘She was a wonderful student and one who truly embodied the school’s values of courtesy, compassion, honesty, integrity and perseverance.’
The Jessi Trust aims to promote awareness of solvent and substance abuse among young people, as well as provide an advice service and workshops for parents.
It is also seeking to change the law by adding deodorant aerosols to the list of substances not to be sold to under-18s, as current legislation on this is unclear.
For confidential support call the Samaritans on 116 123 or log on to www.samaritans.org