A young make-up artist has died after inhaling nitrous oxide balloons which left her with fatal blood clots on her heart and lungs.
Amy Louise Leonard, 20, from Bolton, Greater Manchester, had been puffing on the party drug commonly known as ‘laughing gas’ before being hospitalised on September 29.
The beautician admitted to her mother she had been using the gas shortly after falling ill, but tragically it was too late as doctors uncovered the clots on her vital organs.
Despite the efforts of medics Amy died after three days in their care, turning her devastated mother Catrina Proctor’s life upside down.
Ms Proctor said her daughter had been staying at a hotel and was planning on going out with her friends when she collapsed.
She said: ‘I didn’t know that Amy Lou had been admitted to hospital until someone told me. I went straight there and asked her what had happened.’
The 39-year-old said her daughter then revealed she had been ‘using balloons’ full of nitrous oxide, which is currently classified as a Class C drug in Britain with those found using or supplying it facing criminal charges.
The drug gives users burst of euphoria lasting just seconds, with experts warning it can starve the body of oxygen, damage the nervous system and in severe cases lead to paralysis, clots or sudden death.
Amy Louise Leonard, pictured with her baby sister Porscha, had been puffing on the party drug commonly known as ‘laughing gas’ before being hospitalised on September 29
The beautician, pictured with her nephew Clayton, admitted to her mother she had been using the drug shortly after falling ill, but tragically it was too late
Amy, pictured with her baby sister Porscha, died after three days in care at Bolton Hospital
Ms Proctor said Amy had been complaining about pain in her legs before her death, which the grief-stricken mother now attributes to her use of laughing gas.
Amy, who was in a car crash in 2021 which left her with an ankle injury, had also been battling with her mental health in the months leading up to her death.
Ms Proctor said: ‘Amy went to the gym quite a lot and was very active, so when she started to feel pains in her legs I told her she needed to go to the doctors, but she was quite stubborn.
‘She kept saying it was low iron – but that wasn’t true. The pain was from what the nitrous oxide was doing to her body.’
The heartbroken mother also told how Amy’s condition quickly deteriorated, saying: ‘She collapsed on Tuesday and couldn’t speak. The doctors at Bolton Hospital were keeping her alive.
‘It was so scary, I was just thinking it was a dream. She suffered cardiac arrests a couple of times and she passed on Thursday.
‘We knew that even if Amy-Lou did come out of this induced coma, it might not look good because she was already starved of oxygen.’
Paying tribute to her daughter, who was one of four children, Ms Proctor added: ‘Amy Lou was the life of the room and would always make people feel welcome, she was just so bubbly and happy.
Catrina Proctor, pictured centre left, has revealed her heartbreak after her daughter’s death
Ms Proctor said Amy, pictured as a young dancer, was ‘so happy’ and ‘the life of the room’
Ms Proctor said Amy, pictured, suffered multiple cardiac arrests and was ‘starved of oxygen’
‘She was doing really well with her make-up and was getting really good at it. She started working at the Crown of Beauty on Bury Road in Bolton this summer.’
Ms Proctor is now calling for stronger action against shops selling nitrous oxide and is raising awareness about the dangers of the drug.
She said: ‘I didn’t know anything about balloons. I’ve seen them on the street, but that’s it. I wish I’d have known when Amy-Lou told me she was low on iron that balloons were the real reason causing her legs to be sore.
‘I don’t want this to happen to any other family. Balloons are not harmless. What’s wrong with just enjoying yourself with friends, without having to take drugs? What’s wrong with a couple of wines and having a dance?’
‘This is not a good way to enjoy yourself – it only offers a three-second high.’
The family have launched a GoFundMe after the tragedy to help with unexpected funeral costs. They are planning a pink-themed service to honour Amy.
Ms Proctor added: ‘She loved pink. We’re planning a pink balloon release on Saturday this week and at some point next year we’re hoping to get the Blackpool Tower lit up pink, because it was one of her favourite places.’
