[Trigger Warning]
A grieving mother is calling for greater awareness of severe allergic reactions after her 25-year-old son died in his sleep from what is believed to have been a delayed anaphylactic reaction. Jenson Joseph, from York, had been diagnosed with an almond allergy in 2019 and had been prescribed epinephrine auto-injectors, although he had never needed to use them.
His mother, Alexa Metcalfe, said the sudden loss has been devastating and difficult to understand, especially given how carefully her son managed his condition. “Jenson was incredible, everything that a mum would want,” she said. “He was charming, kind, caring, focused, a great personality and would light up any room he went into.”
Despite a full post-mortem and toxicology testing, no traces of nuts were found. However, the coroner concluded that Jenson had died from a catastrophic anaphylactic reaction. Metcalfe said she had never been aware that such a reaction could occur hours after exposure, particularly during sleep.
“I never thought for a second that there was such a thing as a delayed reaction,” she said. “It is incredibly rare, which is why it’s so important that we raise awareness.” She added that her son had been “so fit, so healthy, and so strong,” making the loss even harder to process.
Jenson had no history of severe allergic reactions following his diagnosis and was known to be extremely cautious about what he ate. His mother emphasized how difficult it has been to reconcile his vigilance with the outcome, particularly in the absence of a clear trigger.
According to allergy experts, fatal anaphylaxis remains rare but has been increasing. Data from the Natasha Allergy Research Foundation suggests that the number of life-threatening anaphylactic reactions has risen significantly in recent years, with tens of thousands occurring annually in the UK and food-related cases accounting for a substantial share.
Tanya Ednan-Laperouse, founder of the foundation, stressed the need for greater public understanding. “The word allergy for a lot of people brings up hay fever, maybe a rash, and I don’t think many people realise that it can be life-threatening,” she said. She added: “It is very rare and it’s absolutely heartbreaking but no matter how rare something is, there are always people who are affected.”
In the wake of Jenson’s death, friends and family have come together to honor his memory and raise funds for allergy research. A charity run at Aston Villa’s stadium brought supporters together, with one friend describing him as “the nicest man you’ll ever meet.” For his mother, the goal is clear: to raise awareness so other families do not face the same tragedy.
Our deepest sympathies go to Ms Metcalfe and her family on the loss of Jenson. We hope her efforts to raise awareness are fruitful and bring her some measure of solace.
Note that anaphylaxis, especially resulting from Alpha-gal syndrome (AGS) or exercise-induced, can be delayed several hours from the trigger. We urge you to always have two doses of epinephrine on hand and to administer the first when you first suspect anaphylaxis.
Also, beware of biphasic reactions—in which a second reaction can occur several hours after the initial reaction—even after treatment with epinephrine.
