A TRAUMATIZED mum has told how her allergic son texted her a picture of a snack he was enjoying before his phone went silent for good.
George Cadman-Ithell sent a haunting message to his mum, Louise Cadman, with a picture of the cured meat sausages and wrote “these are nice”.
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George Cadman suffered severe anaphylactic shock after mistakenly eating salami containing nuts Credit: Facebook
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George missed the mark ‘aux noix’ Credit: Delhaize
But just three minutes later the 25-year-old sent a panicked text that read: “F***, they contain nuts”.
Louise replied, “You haven’t eaten anything, have you?” to which her son said, “Yes.”
George didn’t notice the “aux noix” label on the salami package, which also said “with walnuts” in English.
After a frantic two-minute conversation, the terrified parent never heard from his son again, after begging him to call 911.
When she stopped getting answers, Louise rushed to George’s apartment where she found paramedics giving him CPR.
The young man ran home from the store in just under 10 minutes, and his husband Joe Nolan gave him an EpiPen.
But tragically, George went into cardiac arrest and his brain was deprived of oxygen for 26 minutes, causing severe brain damage.
He remains in a vegetative state in the rehabilitation unit at Northwick Park Hospital in Harrow, northwest London.
The university diplomat was given three years to live and doctors informed his family that he was unlikely to recover, despite being able to open his eyes and breathe on his own.
“He can definitely hear. If he’s sleeping, for example, and Joe comes in and greets him, George opens his eyes straight away,” mum Louise told The Times.
A 12-year-old schoolboy who has never eaten a takeaway because of a deadly nut allergy can finally eat peanuts after a life-changing NHS trial
George was diagnosed with a nut allergy when he was five after reacting to Guylian shell chocolate at his grandparents’ house.
Tests also revealed that the cub was allergic to crustaceans such as prawns.
But during the 15 allergic reactions he’s had to nuts in his lifetime, the 25-year-old never needed to use his EpiPen.
He always managed his episodes with antihistamine tablets.
The Cadman family now supports the Natasha Allergy Research Foundation (Narf) which was established in memory of Natasha Ednan-Laperouse.
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George ran eight minutes home where Joe applied his EpiPenCredit: Gofundme
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Two weeks before the tragedy, George graduated with a first class degree in urban planning, design and management from University College LondonCredit: Gofundme
Natasha, 15, who was allergic to sesame, tragically died in 2016 after eating a Pret a Manger baguette containing the ingredient.
Now Louise, from Upminster, east London, has spoken out about what happened to George in the hope of raising awareness.
She said: “It just destroyed us. I can’t bear the thought of this happening to another family.”
The devastated mother also told how “Joe is broken” because “George was in the happiest place of his life”.
George is also missed by dad Tony Ithell and siblings Alexandra (32), Joe (22) and Lily (19).
“He did his best to avoid nuts and if he was out in restaurants he would always announce it,” Louise explained.
“But also, I think he thought, ‘Oh, well, if they give me something by mistake, I’ll just be a little sick,’ and it was never more than that.”
Louise said her son had previously suffered reactions on holiday where he was “vomiting for about an hour, his lips were swollen and his throat was itchy” – but he never had to use his EpiPen.
Signs of an allergic reaction and anaphylaxis + what to do
Allergy SYMPTOMS usually appear within minutes of contact with the offending food or trigger, but can appear up to an hour later.
Most allergic reactions are mild, but they can also be moderate or severe.
Anaphylaxis is the most severe form of allergic reaction that can be life-threatening.
In some cases, the symptoms of anaphylaxis lead to collapse and unconsciousness, and in rare cases they can be fatal, so it is important to know how to recognize them and act quickly.
Mild to moderate symptoms include:
- Itching of the mouth, tongue and throat
- Swelling of the lips, around the eyes or face
- A red, raised, itchy rash (often called hives, hives or urticaria)
- Vomiting, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea
- Runny nose and sneezing
Severe symptoms of anaphylaxis include:
- Swelling of the throat and tongue
- Shortness of breath or very fast breathing
- Difficulty swallowing, throat tightness or hoarse voice
- Wheezing, coughing or noisy breathing
- Feeling tired or confused
- Feeling weak, dizzy or faint
- Skin that is cool to the touch
- Blue, gray or pale skin, lips or tongue – if you have brown or black skin, this can be more easily seen on the palms of your hands or soles of your feet
Anaphylaxis and its symptoms should be treated as a medical emergency.
Follow these steps if you think you or someone with you is having an anaphylactic reaction:
- Use an adrenaline auto-injector (such as an EpiPen) if you have one – instructions are included on the side of the injector.
- Call 999 and say you think you are having an anaphylactic reaction.
- Lie down – you can raise your legs, and if you have breathing problems, raise your shoulders or sit down slowly (if you are pregnant, lie on your left side).
- If you have been bitten by an insect, try to remove the stinger if it is still in the skin.
- If your symptoms do not improve after 5 minutes, use another epinephrine auto-injector.
Never stand or walk, even if you feel better.
Sources: Allergy UK, NHS
But when George ate salami with walnuts, he went into severe anaphylactic shock.
Louise explained: “They didn’t have any food in the house because they were packing, so George ran to the shops.
“He was busy. His thoughts were elsewhere. We always called him the Absentee Professor because he’s brilliantly smart, but common sense?
“Not always. I can imagine him just picking up a snack and saying, ‘Oh, I’ve had this before,’ and not looking at the label.”
The devastated mum also believes the eight-minute run home George took may have worsened his condition.
NHS guidelines warn that people with anaphylaxis should avoid increased activity, instead lying down and elevating their legs to improve blood flow to vital organs.
Louise issued an urgent warning to even mild allergy sufferers to pay attention to food labels.
She said: “If you have an allergy, it can go from relatively mild to fatal from one attack to the next.
“This is the time of year when people try new foods, eat out and go to other people’s places, and maybe get complacent like George.”
Two weeks before the tragedy, George graduated with a first-class degree in urban planning, design and management from University College London.
He and Joe planned to move in with his grandmother, Susan Cadman, so the couple could save money while George studied for his master’s degree.
Natasha’s law
By Ben Griffiths
The family of an allergy sufferer who died after eating a poorly labeled Pret sandwich on a BA jet have told how they have forgiven the street giant.
Grieving Nad and Tanya Ednan-Laperouse, whose daughter Natasha died in 2016, even praised the sandwich chain for leading the way in implementing the new packaging rules.
Natasha’s Law – named after the 15-year-old – requires businesses to list every ingredient on prepackaged foods.
In an exclusive interview, the family spoke of their “great pride” in passing the historic new regulations.
They mean that an item such as the artichoke, olive and tapenade baguette, which Natasha died after eating, will now have to list all 34 ingredients – instead of the THREE shown five years ago.
Speaking to The Sun on Sunday, Tanya, who won an OBE with Nad for her work on the legislation, said: “I know Natasha would be very pleased to see this legislation come into force and we’ve managed to get it passed.
“You can’t do anything if you’re filled with hate so we’ve forgiven Pret. It doesn’t make up for the fact that she’s not here now, but Pret actually led the way in changing the packaging.
“They spent millions to get their packaging in order and educate staff about allergies.
“The new law means that tens of millions of sandwiches across the UK will now have to detail everything from trace ingredients.”
Natasha was on her way to Nice, France, on a summer holiday with Nada and her best friend Bethany Holloway in July 2016 when she bought a baguette from Pret a Manger at Heathrow Airport.
It contained hidden sesame seeds, something she was allergic to, but the ingredient was not labeled on the package. Shortly after take off, Natasha had a reaction.
Nad rushed her to the toilet and gave her two shots of adrenaline from her EpiPens that he expected would prevent a reaction.
Her last words were “I can’t breathe, I’m suffocating, help me dad”, before she suffered a fatal heart attack.
An inquest into Natasha’s death in 2018 condemned Pret for “inadequate” labeling and culpability for Natasha’s death, prompting the company to promise to make “significant change”.
Nad and Tanya launch their mission to change the law after an investigation. This now means that every fresh item prepared at the point of sale will now have to list every ingredient it contains.
To visit the Natasha Allergy Research Foundation go to www.narf.org.uk.
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The 25-year-old has suffered from allergic reactions before, but never needed his EpiPenCredit: Facebook
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George remains in a vegetative stateCredit: Gofundme
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