Amy Louise Leonard, 20, died, with her mum desperate to raise awareness of the dangers of laughing gas
06:22, 06 Oct 2025Updated 07:01, 06 Oct 2025
Amy Louise Leonard(Image: Supplied)
A heartbroken mother whose daughter passed away aged 20 is urgingly seeking to raise awareness of the dangers of laughing gas.
Amy Louise Leonard, from Bolton, had been out with friends when she fell ill and had to be rushed to hospital. There she admitted to her mum that she had been taking nitrous oxide.
Sadly, on Tuesday last week, October 2, Amy passed away surrounded by her friends and family after doctors found a blood clot on her heart and lungs. Police are now investigating her death, her family say.
Her mum, Catrina Proctor, is now desperate to raise awareness of the drug, to help save other families from going through the same heartbreak.
Never miss a story with the MEN’s daily Catch Up newsletter – get it in your inbox by signing up here
She said: “She had been staying at a hotel and was going out with some friends. The next thing I spoke to my eldest daughter who said Amy Lou was in hospital.
“I went straight there and it became clear that it was because she had been misusing balloons. When I had spoken to her before about how she was feeling, she just said she was low on iron.”
Catrina said her daughter had suffered an injury to her ankle from a car crash three years prior, and had been struggling with her mental health and had reported bouts of dizziness over the last few weeks.
Amy Louise Leonard(Image: Supplied)
When she spoke to Amy in hospital, she asked her why she had taken nitrous oxide.
“She said it gave her a buzz,” Catrina said.
“Young people are using it, and it’s becoming really addictive. Last week I saw a lad driving and doing it at the same time. I never knew anything about balloons before this.
“I saw the canisters on the ground, but I didn’t know the dangers of them. They freeze your insides and can make you paralysed. Amy couldn’t walk when they took her into hospital.
“She passed away after not being able to move, they found a blood clot to her lungs and her heart.”
Catrina added: “I don’t know how many may have been killed by using this, but it needs to stop.
“I had spoken to her in August asking her if she was OK, and she said she was fine, just low on iron. I asked her if that’s why she felt so dizzy and unwell, and she said yes and that she was going to the doctors about how she felt.
“If for one second I knew she was misusing this nitrous oxide balloons, I would have done my absolute best to get her some help. I didn’t know. “
(Image: Supplied)
Speaking about Amy, affectionately called Amy Lou by those closest to her, she said she was the ‘life of the room’ and ‘always brought happiness’ to those around her.
She was a makeup artist and worked at the Crown of Beauty on Bury Road in Bolton, her mum said.
“She was absolutely amazing at makeup, she loved it. She was bubbly, she enjoyed music and was such an outgoing and bubbly person. She would make you feel welcome, she was that type of person.
“Her favourite time of the year is Halloween and Christmas, and would absolutely love being out in the sun.”
One of four, and auntie to her nephew, Amy was ‘loved by everyone’.
“It just doesn’t feel real and we’ve had so many people reaching out, we’ve had a lot of support. We are trying our best.”
Join the Manchester Evening News WhatsApp group HERE
Catrina said Greater Manchester Police and the Coronial service are now looking into Amy’s death.
The family are hoping to raise awareness, and are in the process of submitting a Parliamentary petition calling for stronger controls and national awareness campaigns to highlight the true dangers of nitrous oxide misuse.
“We don’t want sympathy; we want change. These canisters need to be removed from the streets, or there must be stricter laws and enforcement to stop them being so easily accessible. What’s currently in place simply isn’t enough,” Catrina added.