Tragedy in Barking: Teen dies after café's fatal allergy mistake
Nothing foretold the tragic end. Thirteen-year-old Hannah Jacobs went with her mom for hot chocolate before a visit to the dentist. The teenager, who came from Barking in East London, had been allergic to milk, fish, and eggs since childhood. After drinking the chocolate, she felt unwell right away. A few hours later, she was no longer alive.
The tragic events unfolded on February 8, 2022, when the girl and her mother visited a café before a dentist appointment.
Abimbola Duyile, Hannah's mother, ordered two hot chocolates with soy 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 preparing the drink under safe conditions for her daughter. She admitted that even Hannah criticized her for being so obsessive about it.
In reality, the teenager was very well aware of what she could and couldn’t consume. She was very cautious about what she ate and drank. She would bring food prepared by her mother and aunt or eat at restaurants that had been checked in advance for safety.
This time, her mother’s caution wasn’t enough. Hannah took her first sip of chocolate at the dentist’s office and immediately rushed to the bathroom.
“This isn’t soy milk!” she cried
Her mother immediately took her to a nearby pharmacy. Hannah was coughing up phlegm and complaining of chest pains.
Her lips were swollen, and she was itching everywhere - her mother recounted.
At the pharmacy, the thirteen-year-old was given an EpiPen injection (an adrenaline shot - ed.) in her leg. Resuscitation efforts began, and soon after, an ambulance arrived.
Paramedics took over the resuscitation attempt. The thirteen-year-old was transported to the hospital, where she was pronounced dead shortly after.
Café staff ignored the mother's requests. Help came too late
The trial regarding the death of the thirteen-year-old began on Monday. Eleven witnesses and experts will testify in court. On the first day, the mother of the deceased thirteen-year-old gave her testimony.
Abimbola Duyile holds a grudge against the café staff for not taking her instructions seriously.
When I came to the café, I told the server that we both wanted hot chocolate. I said that Hannah had a severe cow’s milk allergy and that they should clean the jug - to which they agreed - she recounted in court.
The doctor who had consulted Hannah regarding her allergy admitted -the teenager would have survived if she had received an adrenaline injection earlier or in a double dose.
