[Trigger Warning]
The family of a young British traveler who suffered a fatal allergic reaction in Argentina is speaking out, hoping to prevent another family from experiencing the same tragedy. Harry Kitto, a 24-year-old barber and photographer from Falmouth, Cornwall, died after eating churros containing peanuts at a café in Buenos Aires, despite repeatedly being assured the food was safe for him.
On October 30, Harry and his girlfriend, Naomi, visited the historic Café Tortoni, where they ordered churros and hot chocolate. Harry had lived with a severe peanut allergy since childhood and specifically asked staff whether the churros contained peanuts. He was assured they did not. After eating some, Harry began feeling unwell, prompting Naomi to question staff again. They repeated that the food contained no nuts, and Harry ate more.
Shortly after leaving the café, Harry’s condition began to deteriorate. His lips swelled, and he struggled to understand what was happening. Naomi recalled, “He was confused and trying to figure out if it did or did not have nuts.” As his breathing became increasingly difficult, Naomi offered him water, but he refused, managing to say, “No, EpiPen.” Realizing he needed his emergency medication, Naomi rushed back to their Airbnb to retrieve it.
By the time Naomi returned, Harry had collapsed on the street and was surrounded by bystanders. “I could tell he wasn’t really breathing,” she recalled. She administered his epinephrine auto-injector, and emergency responders transported him to a hospital. Harry had suffered cardiac arrest, with his heart reportedly stopped for approximately 11 minutes before doctors were able to restart it. The prolonged lack of oxygen caused devastating brain damage. He was placed on life support but died on November 7, just eight days after the reaction.
Determined to understand what had happened, Harry’s father and brother returned to Café Tortoni and purchased another serving of the same churros. Staff again insisted the food contained no nuts. However, independent laboratory testing in Buenos Aires detected 20 milligrams of peanut protein per kilogram of churro. Although the test could not establish exactly how much peanut protein Harry had consumed, it confirmed that the subsequently purchased food contained the allergen he had been assured was absent. At an inquest in Cornwall, assistant coroner Emma Hillson concluded that Harry’s death was accidental, following anaphylactic shock and a severe brain injury caused by oxygen deprivation.
For Harry’s mother, Kerry Burt, being thousands of miles away made the tragedy even more heartbreaking. “One of the most painful things for me as his mum was not being able to be there with him in Argentina,” she said. “I had to say goodbye to my son and watch him leave this world over a FaceTime call. That is something I will carry with me for the rest of my life. Harry was only 24. He had so much life ahead of him, so many plans and so much more he wanted to do.” Kerry hopes that sharing her son’s story will help prevent another tragedy.
Harry’s death is a devastating reminder of the challenges people with food allergies can face while traveling, particularly where language barriers and differences in food allergy awareness complicate communication. Tanya Ednan-Laperouse OBE, founder of Natasha’s Foundation, emphasized the importance of preparation: “Travelling with a food allergy can present significant challenges; understanding of food allergy varies from country to country and language barriers can be another problem. We would urge anyone travelling with a food allergy to plan ahead and take their medication with them.”
We send our deepest condolences to the Kitto family for the tragic loss of their son and brother, who was guilty of nothing more than trying to enjoy a vacation with his girlfriend. His loss is a loss for the entire food allergy community.
We at SnackSafely remind readers that anyone prescribed epinephrine should carry two doses at all times, keep them immediately accessible rather than in a hotel room or other accommodation, and administer epinephrine promptly when anaphylaxis is first suspected.
