13-year-old Hannah Jacobs and her mother from Barking in East London were on their way to the dentist on February 8, 2023, when they decided to stop at a local Costa Coffee shop for hot chocolate.
Her mom ordered two hot chocolates made with soy milk as Hannah had been diagnosed with allergies to milk, egg, fish and wheat when she was a toddler. According to a legal firm, the mom was careful to inform the barista of her daughter’s milk allergy.
At the dentist’s office, Hannah took a sip of her drink and immediately told her mother is hadn’t been made with soy milk.
They both rushed to a nearby pharmacy, where a staffer administered an epinephrine auto-injector to Hannah and called emergency services.
Epinephrine is the only drug that can halt and reverse the progression of anaphylaxis, a life-threatening allergic reaction, but it must be administered quickly after onset of symptoms to provide the best outcome.
An ambulance arrived shortly afterward, but despite their best efforts, their attempts at resuscitating the girl were unsuccessful. She was declared dead at 1PM that day.
An inquest will be convened at East London Coroner’s Court on Monday which is expected to last the week and hear testimony from 11 witnesses and experts.
This is not the first time Costa Coffee has been called out for not properly accommodating a milk allergy. In 2021, we reported on another incident in which a three-year-old boy was served cow’s milk at a Costa outlet and spent the night in the hospital.
The company has thus far not responded with to this incident.
This is the first we’ve heard of this avoidable tragedy that took Hannah’s life.
We send our deepest sympathies to the Jacobs family for their loss, along with the hope that the inquest will bring some measure of closure to all who loved her. The food allergy community grieves with them.
As we did yesterday in yet another senseless tragedy that took the life of a teen, we remind our readers coping with food allergies that when they dine out, they are literally putting their lives in the hands of others. We urge you to avoid food establishments where your allergen of concern is served if possible and to always talk to the manager to discuss your restrictions when ordering. If you feel you cannot be safely accommodated, leave.
We also remind all those who have been prescribed to always take two epinephrine auto-injectors along everywhere, every time, and to administer the first when they first suspect anaphylaxis. Time is of the essence with anaphylactic reactions, and earlier administration leads to better outcomes.
