The family of Natalie Giorgi, the 13 year old girl who tragically succumbed to anaphylaxis after consuming a peanut butter tainted Rice Krispy treat at Camp Sacramento in 2013, has reached a multimillion dollar settlement with the city of Sacramento, their lawyer announced.
Natalie, who was diagnosed with a severe peanut allergy at age 3, was attending a hula hoop competition with her family during her last night at the camp. She ran to her parents and said, “I ate something. I ate a Rice Krispies Treat, and it it didn’t taste right.”
Natalie’s father, Louis Giorgi, a urologist, sat by his daughter for the next 20 minutes during which she appeared to be fine. She then told him, “Oh my God, I might get sick,” vomited, and shortly thereafter stopped breathing. Mr Giorgi immediately injected his daughter with the first of two epinephrine auto-injectors he kept on-hand. Shortly afterward when she failed to respond, he administered the second.
The couple raced their daughter to the nurse’s station where they broke open a medicine cabinet to access a third dose. “It just didn’t work,” he said.
“We recognize the tremendous loss that the Giorgi family has suffered and hope these steps and measures will help each of them in dealing with and healing from such a terrible loss,” a statement from the city read.
A news report by KCRA TV in Sacramento about the settlement can be viewed here.
Many allergists now recommend administering epinephrine immediately when an individual with a severe food allergy believes they may have accidentally ingested their allergen of concern. We urge you to discuss an emergency action plan with your doctor, including what to do when accidental ingestion is suspected but before symptoms of anaphylaxis present themselves.
Can you tell me why the city of Sacramento was at fault? I have a Daughter with a severe peanut allergy and the only time she has ever had a reaction was when the peanuts were not disclosed at restaurants that claimed to be peanut free. We have been lucky to have had out of pocket medical paid by the restaurants. Just curious how the city was at fault.
No idea.
And the girl was 13, old enough to understand the risks associated with eating home made treats.
Maybe it was a city funded camp?
But why would tax payers millions be paid to the family of a teenager who made a risky decision (considering her severe allergy) ?
Sometimes in life tragedies happen and inhalers or epi-pens don’t work =(
it was a rice krispy treat which is normally just marshmallow fluff and butter. But someone made it with peanut butter. My god! She didn’t make a “risky decision”. She made an innocent mistake that cost her her life. You talk like she knew she was taking a chance with her life. God rest her soul.
It was at a camp the city offered and snacks the city provided. They told her it was nut free, but they had put an icing on it that contained nuts without disclosing.
Natalie actually did everything right, telling her parents right away she thought there were nuts. The allergists changed guidelines on when to administer epi after her death.