A MUM today revealed her "terror" as she told how her teen daughter died after enjoying just one sip of a Costa hot chocolate. Hannah Jacobs, 13, had a severe dairy allergy so her mum made sure to order the drink with soya milk. But she suffered an "immediate reaction" after taking a sip and tragically died within hours, East London Coroner's Court was told.
Her mum Abimbola Duyile today told the inquest how her daughter's condition declined rapidly after she bought the drinks before a trip to the dentist. She said she had been "picky" about telling staff her daughter had an allergy, adding: "I said that Hannah was severely allergic to cows' milk and said they should clean the jug - to which they agreed. The mum said her daughter took one sip of the drink before she "abruptly got up" and shouted "that was not soya milk".
Abimbola then rushed Hannah to a nearby chemist after she began complaining of chest pains and her mouth and lips swelled up. She said: "My initial response was of anger to the Costa Coffee staff - it gave way to terror". Hannah then collapsed in the chemist and was given an EpiPen injection while paramedics were called.
The schoolgirl was taken to hospital but sadly died shortly after. Most read in Health Abimbola told the court she had been careful with staff about explaining the severity of her daughter's allergy. According to Anaphylaxis Campaign, it's absolutely vital that someone having a reaction gets their shot.
They have to have it as soon as a reaction is suspected, and an ambulance has to be called ASAP. Administer the shot first and then call 999 immediately after. What to do: Try to ensure that a person suffering an allergic reaction remains as still as possible Preferably they should be lying down and if they are feeling weak, dizzy or appear pale and sweating their legs should be raised When dialling 999, say that the person is suffering from anaphylaxis (anna-fill-axis) Give clear and precise directions to the emergency operator, including the postcode of your location If adrenaline has been given, make a note of the time this was administered.
A second dose can be given after five minutes if there has been no improvement If the person’s condition deteriorates after making the initial 999 call, a second call to the emergency services should be made to ensure an ambulance has been dispatched Send someone outside to direct the ambulance crew when they arrive Try to ascertain what food or substance may have caused the reaction and ensure the ambulance crew knows this She said at this point, Hannah was "busy telling me off for being so picky". The mum also claimed she felt the staff member could not understand what she was saying so she made sure to lean forward. She explained there was a policy of "complete avoidance" when it came to her daughter's allergies, which also included fish and eggs.
As a result, Hannah was "diligent" about what she ate and always checked her orders with shop staff. The inquest continues..
