# 4-year-old went into anaphylactic shock after another passenger in a plane ate nuts 4 rows away.

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4-year-old-went-into-anaphylactic-shock-after-another-passenger-in-a-plane-ate-nuts-4-rows-away/695516>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [August 14, 2014, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4-year-old-went-into-anaphylactic-shock-after-another-passenger-in-a-plane-ate-nuts-4-rows-away/695516 "2014-08-14T15:05:06Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 5

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\
**Post date:** [August 20, 2014, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4-year-old-went-into-anaphylactic-shock-after-another-passenger-in-a-plane-ate-nuts-4-rows-away/695516/81 "2014-08-20T15:37:22Z")

</div>

> [@PunditLisa](#):
>
> I worked at a fundraiser at a memorial and awareness campaign for a young girl with a severe peanut allergy who died after eating a Subway sandwich at a food court. Even though the restaurant didn’t serve anything with nuts in it, they did share a counter with a cookie company, so it was theorized that some trace nuts remained on the counter. Or perhaps a worker ate a peanut butter cookie and didn’t change his/her gloves. . . .

According to their [comments about the autopsy](http://www.today.com/id/21471171/ns/today-today_health/t/threat-peanut-allergy-very-real/), ‘massive’ amounts of peanut protein were found. I don’t know how to quanitfy ‘massive’ in a case like this, but the upshot is, they still don’t know.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\
**Post date:** [August 20, 2014, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4-year-old-went-into-anaphylactic-shock-after-another-passenger-in-a-plane-ate-nuts-4-rows-away/695516/82 "2014-08-20T15:53:48Z")

</div>

> [@GrumpyBunny](#):
>
> One thing I noticed with the story – no one was concerned that she felt really hot, or had asked if her face was flushed. That’s a huge sign of impending anaphylaxis.
> 
> It sounds as if the parents didn’t really receive good counseling about signs of anaphylaxis, nor did they realize that the method Emily was using to “test” food isn’t exactly safe. If there’s any doubt, DON’T EAT IT. And realize that if your child has that level of allergy, at some point she’ll need the Epi-Pen, and might as well get used to the idea. So sad that they didn’t (it sounds like) get good medical counseling.

Yeah, my 10 year old has a severe peanut allergy, and yeesh, that poor girl and her parents basically did everything wrong. Sorry to put it so bluntly, but that’s how it is. I have no idea if they even ever mentioned her allergies to their GP, or if she was also seeing an allergist, or what. But the “touch food to her lips” method of testing food was essentially akin to the “pull the trigger to see if the gun is loaded” method.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Boogly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Boogly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boogly)\
**Post date:** [August 20, 2014, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4-year-old-went-into-anaphylactic-shock-after-another-passenger-in-a-plane-ate-nuts-4-rows-away/695516/83 "2014-08-20T20:43:38Z")

</div>

And a follow up from the Daily Mail

> **[Family removed from flight after asking airline not to serve nuts](https://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/travel_news/article-2729688/It-s-not-nut-free-airline-Family-four-year-old-girl-suffered-allergic-reaction-removed-flight-asking-cabin-crew-not-serve-cashews-board.html)**
>
> The young girl's family asked the United crew not to serve any nuts in their whole cabin on their return journey to Ireland, but they were told it is not a nut-free airline' and were asked to get off the plane.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\
**Post date:** [August 20, 2014, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4-year-old-went-into-anaphylactic-shock-after-another-passenger-in-a-plane-ate-nuts-4-rows-away/695516/84 "2014-08-20T20:59:59Z")

</div>

Just wanted to point out that reading this thread is making me binge on PB straight outta the jar.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\
**Post date:** [August 20, 2014, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4-year-old-went-into-anaphylactic-shock-after-another-passenger-in-a-plane-ate-nuts-4-rows-away/695516/85 "2014-08-20T23:05:52Z")

</div>

Please do so on my behalf.

I used to _love_ Reese’s peanut butter cups, my hands-down favorite… until I started developing a peanut allergy. Oh, nothing pyrotechnic - I stopped eating them as soon as I started having even mild problems.

_\>sigh\<_… but I still miss them sometimes…

That’s one reason I get irritated by people saying “I’m allergic” so they don’t have to eat foods they simply don’t like. Liking or not liking has nothing to do with it. It’s a fact that MOST food items I’m allergic to _I actually like_… I just can’t have them any more. Ever.

I’ve had to give up about four of my favorite foods for life. No cheating allowed.

So please - eat my share. I’m glad I enjoyed them while I could. Now, enjoy them for me.

[Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4-year-old-went-into-anaphylactic-shock-after-another-passenger-in-a-plane-ate-nuts-4-rows-away/695516.md?page=4)