Cafés must act: Deadly allergy mistake claims teenager's life
Nothing predicted the tragic ending. Thirteen-year-old Hannah Jacobs went with her mum for hot chocolate before a visit to the dentist. The teenager from Barking in East London had been allergic to milk, fish, and eggs since childhood. After drinking the chocolate, she immediately felt unwell. A few hours later, she was already dead.
The tragic events unfolded on 8 February 2022, when the girl and her mother visited a café before a dentist appointment.
Abimbola Duyile, Hannah's mother, ordered two hot chocolates with soya milk and informed the staff about her daughter's allergy. She says she did everything she could to make the café staff understand the importance of maintaining the proper conditions for preparing a drink safe for her daughter. She admits that Hannah even criticised her for being so overprotective at this point.
In reality, however, the teenager was fully aware of what she could and could not have daily. She was cautious about what she ate and drank, bringing food prepared by her mum and aunt or occasionally eating at restaurants previously vetted for safety.
This time, the mother's caution was not enough. Hannah took her first sip of chocolate at the dentist and immediately rushed to the bathroom.
That was not soya milk! - she screamed
Her mum immediately took her to a nearby pharmacy. Hannah was coughing up phlegm and complained of chest pains.
Her lips and mouth were very swollen and she was itchy - the 13-year-old's mother reported.
At the pharmacy, the 13-year-old received an EpiPen injection (adrenaline shot) in her leg. Resuscitation began, and shortly after, an ambulance arrived.
The rescuers continued the resuscitation attempt. The 13-year-old was taken to the hospital, where she was declared dead shortly after.
Café staff ignored the mother's requests. Help came too late
On Monday, the trial regarding the 13-year-old's death started. 11 witnesses and experts will give testimonies. The mother of the deceased 13-year-old has already testified on the first day.
Abimbola Duyile resents the café staff for not taking her instructions seriously.
When I arrived at the coffee shop I said to the person serving that we both would like hot chocolate. I said that Hannah was severely allergic to cows’ milk and said they should clean the jug – to which they agreed - she testified in court.
The doctor who consulted Hannah regarding her allergy admitted - the teenager would have survived if she had received the adrenaline shot earlier or in a dose twice as high.
