The parents of teenager Natasha Ednan-Laperouse, who died after eating a Pret a Manger baguette, today urged the Government and food companies to “wake up” and realise “how serious food allergies are”.
Nadim and Tanya Ednan-Laperouse spoke while attending the inquest into the death of Hannah Jacobs, 13, who suffered a catastrophic reaction after a single sip of Costa Coffee hot chocolate.
The couple who founded The Natasha Allergy Research Foundation said they were “devastated” to hear of the case, adding: “How many more children have to die before we start taking food allergies seriously?”
On the first day of the inquest at East London Coroner’s Court, Hannah’s mother, Abimbola Duyile, recalled the moments leading up to the tragedy.
She had She warned staff about her daughter’s allergies, she said, and apologized to the barista for “being a nuisance” after requesting they clean the milk frother to ensure traces of cow’s milk were removed.
Hannah Jacobs, 13, from Barking, East London, died after a suspected anaphylactic reaction.
However, Costa employee Ana Sanz, who was assistant manager at the Costa franchise in Barking at the time of Hannah’s death but did not work until later that day, admitted in court that she had used Google Translate to help her complete allergy training as her first language is Spanish.
Natasha Ednan-Laperouse, 15, was on a dream trip to Nice with her best friend and dad when she suffered a severe reaction to sesame seeds baked into an artichoke, olive and tapenade baguette she bought at Heathrow.
However, Costa employee Ana Sanz, who was assistant manager at the Costa franchise in Barking at the time of Hannah’s death but did not work until later that day, admitted in court that she had used Google Translate to help her complete allergy training as her first language is Spanish.
She suggested that other employees she worked with might have done the same thing.
About 10 minutes after she was served the drink in February of last year, Hannah took her first sip and almost immediately began vomiting, according to her mother’s statement.
Ms. Duyile then rushed her daughter across the street to a pharmacy, where she asked for antihistamines that had previously worked to relieve her allergy symptoms.
However, Hannah complained that her chest was becoming “tight and painful” and that she was having trouble breathing.
A pharmacist gave her an auto-injector filled with adrenaline (also known as an Epipen), but it contained half the recommended dose of the drug for teens and adults.
Ms Duyile said her “anger” towards the barista who served her daughter the drink soon turned to “horror” when Hannah lost consciousness.
A pharmacy customer called an ambulance and paramedics arrived shortly after and immediately began performing CPR on the schoolgirl.
Despite efforts to revive her at Newham Hospital, Hannah died a few minutes after 1pm on 8 February 2023.
Nadim and Tanya Ednan-Laperouse He said: ‘We are devastated to be attending yet another inquest into the death of a child from a suspected food allergy.
‘Over the past year we have been supporting Hannah’s family, helping them through the complex and often disconcerting process that occurs when a child dies suddenly and when they are consumed by grief.
‘We’ll have to wait and see what comes out of the investigation in the coming days.
‘However, this case, like that of our daughter Natasha and, sadly, those of many others, highlights how serious food allergies can be.
‘They are not a lifestyle choice, but a serious and unpredictable medical condition that can be potentially fatal.
‘Everyone – individuals, businesses and government – must be aware of this reality and do everything possible to keep people with food allergies safe.
“Allergy education needs to be strengthened so that it goes beyond meeting requirements, but rather becomes a set of protocols to keep people with food allergies safe from harm. How many more children must die before we start taking food allergies seriously?”
Natasha Ednan-Laperouse, 15, was on a dream trip to Nice with her best friend and dad when she suffered a severe reaction to sesame seeds baked into an artichoke, olive and tapenade baguette she bought at Heathrow.
At that time, stores did not have to indicate allergens on foods freshly prepared in the establishment.
“Allergy education needs to be strengthened so that it is not just a requirement, but rather a set of protocols that keep people with food allergies safe from harm. How many more children must die before we start taking food allergies seriously?” Natasha’s parents said.
Following her tragic death in 2016, Natasha’s family successfully lobbied to pass “Natasha’s Law,” which makes allergy information on foods produced on-site a requirement.
Ms Duyile said her daughter Hannah had suffered from extremely severe allergies since being diagnosed as a toddler, leading her to avoid meat, eggs, fish and wheat after mild allergic reactions and previous testing.
Ms Duyile said Hannah had enjoyed a soy hot chocolate at Costa on several occasions before, after her mother convinced her to try a hot drink there.
In a statement read out to the court, the grieving mother described her daughter saying: “Hannah Jacobs was my daughter. Hannah loved life.
‘She was loving, caring, funny, outspoken and energetic.
I was 13 when she died, an age when we all change very quickly. I have never met the adult Hannah.
‘Hannah had a strong sense of right and wrong. I always said she would have made a great lawyer.
She had never had a severe allergic reaction that required going to the hospital or (getting an injection).
“Hannah understood that her allergies were life-threatening. I will always remember her as a happy little girl, full of happiness and promise.
I will never know the woman Hannah would have eventually become.
On the morning of February 8, Hannah had not gone to school because she had a dentist appointment at 11 a.m.
Her mother told the inquest she had asked her daughter if she wanted to go for a drink in Costa before their date.
“Hannah had been to Costa Coffee (in Barking) several times before, and always had her usual hot chocolate,” Duyile said.
‘I told the barista that we would both like a soy hot chocolate and explained that Hannah would like marshmallows.
‘I explained that Hannah is severely allergic to cow’s milk and asked for a clean jug and a milk frother. I said, ‘I’m sorry to bother you, but my son has severe allergies.’
“We clearly told the woman who took the order that soy milk should be used because my daughter is lactose intolerant.”
The mother told the inquest that her daughter had even mildly reprimanded her for being so “strict” with staff.
But a Costa employee at the branch later took the stand and confirmed that an allergy book is supposed to be shown to customers who claim to have any allergies.
The couple quickly left Costa’s store and headed to the dentist, as they were late for their 11 a.m. appointment.
Following her tragic death in 2016, Natasha’s parents successfully lobbied for the passage of “Natasha’s Law,” which makes allergy information a requirement for foods produced on-site.
Her mother explained that while in the waiting room: ‘Hannah took her first sip and suddenly got up and went to the bathroom.
“She called me (from the bathroom) and yelled, ‘That’s not soy milk. ’ She had an immediate reaction to that drink. Hannah kept throwing up. It was everywhere, in the bathroom and in the dentist’s reception area.”
Ms Duyile told the dentist that Hannah was having an allergic reaction and needed to go to the pharmacy, but the dentist did not offer her an EpiPen, although the court heard he could have had one on site.
The mother and daughter rushed to a pharmacy they knew very close to the dentist, where deputy coroner Dr Shirley Radcliffe said CCTV showed Hannah collapsed “almost immediately” after entering.
He was given antihistamine tablets and then a pharmacist administered adrenaline using an EpiPen while another customer called an ambulance.
Hannah was pronounced dead at Newham General Hospital in east London (file photo)
Ambulance crews arrived soon after being called and attempted to resuscitate Hannah, who was soon rushed to Newham General Hospital shortly before 11.30am, where resuscitation attempts continued.
But doctors turned up around midday and told a devastated Ms Duyile they had decided to stop their attempts to resuscitate her daughter because it was “clear” it was not working.
Dr Radcliffe said: “Sadly there was nothing more they could do. She was gone. (Doctors) told him she had passed away.”
The investigation continues.
