A 13-year-old boy named Karanbir Cheema tragically lost his life in a heartbreaking incident at a school in London, UK.
When a classmate threw a piece of cheese at Karanbir, who had severe allergies to dairy, wheat, gluten, eggs, milk, and tree nuts, he had a deadly response.
The cheese touched Karanbir’s skin, struck his neck, and caused a serious allergic reaction even though he did not eat it. He died a few days after being sent to Great Ormond Street Hospital in severe condition, but it was too late to save his life. Post-cardiac arrest syndrome was eventually identified as the cause of death.
Rina, Karanbir’s mother, talked about the heartbreaking goodbye they had to say to their son in an appearance on This Morning. She added, “He smiled when the machine was turned off… we said our last goodbyes before he was taken down, and he had a smile on his face,” after making the agonizing decision to turn off his life-support machine.
The fact that Karanbir’s EpiPen, which might have saved his life, was found to be almost a year past its expiration date is heartbreaking. Before he went into cardiac arrest, the only treatment accessible to him was adrenaline, which was given by the antiquated EpiPen.
The classmate who flung the cheese said he was only having fun and didn’t know Karanbir had a serious dairy allergy. Fatal incidences of severe allergic responses from skin contact are much less common. During the inquest into Karanbir’s death, pediatric allergy consultant Dr. Adam Fox said that it was unprecedented for such a severe reaction to occur from simple skin contact. Despite extensive inquiry, no similar fatal occurrences were found.
This sad event serves as a reminder of how important it is to understand and respect other people’s allergies, particularly in educational environments where children are at risk. Understanding allergies and the potentially fatal effects they can have is crucial for parents, educators, and kids. Together, let’s make the world a safer and more compassionate place for everyone, including those who suffer from allergies.
