This June, 18-year-old Lily King was on vacation in Morocco with her mom, Aicha, to celebrate her getting top grades in her first year toward an economics degree at the University of Exeter.
On the last day of their week away, mother and daughter had dinner at Maya, a restaurant in Rabat where they had eaten previously.
Mrs King, who is Moroccan and speaks Arabic, was explicit when she told the wait staff about her daughter’s food allergies, which included milk, fish, shellfish, sesame, and nuts.
The waiter brought out a meal consisting of chicken, vegetables and fries.
Lily took a bite of carrots, and minutes later began to feel symptoms of anaphylaxis, a severe, life-threatening allergic reaction. She vomited and ran outside, unable to breathe.
Said Michael King, Lily’s father:
She got an itchy throat, which developed into sickness, stomach cramps and breathing problems. She used her Epi-pen, which she carried with her at all times.
[When] Lily was outside struggling to breathe, restaurant staff told Mrs King that ‘she couldn’t leave without paying the bill. ‘
They delayed her from leaving the restaurant by a few minutes that could have actually saved Lily’s life.
A devastated Mrs King added:
I explained to him [the waiter] in Arabic three times ‘Please be careful, she is very, very allergic.’
He says ‘Yeah no worry, we careful.’
Mrs King described what followed after Lily began feeling symptoms of a reaction:
Lily said ‘it’s itchy’, I give her a Piriton [an antihistamine], and she used the toilet. After she came back, she said, ‘I can’t breathe’.
I started calling the ambulance and we went outside, so she can try to breathe.
We [used] the EpiPen. But I left my bag inside the restaurant, and it had my passport and everything in it, I can’t leave it, and I went [inside] to get it back.
I told the restaurant, ‘my daughter [is] dying outside’. He said to me, to pay the bill before you’re leaving.
Mrs King was forced to spend crucial minutes settling the bill before they allowed her to leave to help her daughter who had already administered her second epinephrine auto-injector.
“‘I’m screaming, there are security guards outside the door, but no one is helping me, nothing,” she said to the Daily Mail through tears.
With no sign of the ambulance and no time to spare, Mrs King opted to drive Lily to the nearest hospital, but it took 30 minutes to get there, by which time her daughter had suffered a heart attack.
Mrs King said: “[Lily] died on my shoulder. She told me, ‘I love you, goodbye’ and then passed away.”
According to Mr King, who had raced to Morocco upon hearing the news, Lily became unresponsive after suffering the heart attack.
Doctors kept her alive for three days, but a test determined she had no brain function. Lily’s parents gave permission to remove her from life-support and she passed in June 23.
An autopsy was performed in Morocco and a subsequent autopsy was performed by British authorities before she was laid to rest on July 10 in Beaconsfield.
The cause of death issued by Moroccan authorities was “heart attack”, making no mention of anaphylaxis as the cause.
Mr King says prosecutors in Morocco are in charge of the investigation, but the family has so far received no feedback.
He said:
We were told we would be notified about the next steps.
We want to know what’s going on, we want to know whether it’s going to be brushed under the carpet or whether they’re going to do something about it.
The Kings have purposely gone public with their tragedy.
Added Mr King:
I just want to protect other English people who might want to go to Morocco with their children who have allergies.
I just think people need to know these things.
People have just got to be very careful and to educate their children about [food allergies and eating out].
We tried our best and we did educate Lily, but she wanted to live.
Even if they haven’t already had an anaphylactic shot, it’s like Russian roulette.
Every time you eat out, especially abroad, you’re playing Russian roulette with your life.
The Kings are in touch with Tanya and Nadim Ednan-Laperouse, who founded the Natasha Allergy Research Foundation (NARF) after their 15-year-old daughter Natasha died on a flight to Nice in 2016 after eating a sandwich made with sesame seeds which were not listed as ingredients on the label. They are raising funds for NARF in memory of Lily on their JustGiving page.
We at SnackSafely.com send our heartfelt condolences to the King Family after the loss of Lily, who was simply enjoying time celebrating with her mom after a promising start to her college career when tragedy struck. We hope they receive news soon from the ongoing investigation and that those responsible will be brought to justice.
By all accounts, the Kings did everything right. They discussed Lily’s food allergies with the wait staff in their own language who assured her she could be accommodated safely. She carried two epinephrine auto-injectors and administered both when she was realized she was suffering a severe reaction. They immediately called emergency services.
Tragically, their efforts were thwarted by the restaurant’s management’s reckless behavior, presumably during meal preparation but certainly when Mrs King was scrambling to help her daughter. There MUST be a reckoning and we hope it happens soon.
Please understand that whenever you eat out, you are literally putting your life in someone else’s hands. If you can, avoid restaurants where your allergen of concern is served and always discuss your food allergies in detail with management and staff. Don’t be afraid to ask them what steps they will take to ensure there will be no cross-contact with your allergens and leave if you are not confident they can accommodate your restrictions safely.
Please consider making a donation to the Natasha Allergy Research Foundation — a non-profit doing wonderful work on behalf of the food allergy community — in memory of Lily.
