Boy with dairy allergy died after classmate threw cheese at him
A BOY with a severe dairy allergy died after he was chased by a schoolmate who threw cheese down his T-shirt, an inquest heard.
Karanbir Cheema, known as Karan, suffered a serious allergic reaction in Greenford, west London, on June 28 last year.
The 13-year-old was severely allergic to wheat, gluten, dairy products, eggs and nuts, was asthmatic and suffered from atopic eczema.
He went into anaphylactic shock at William Perkin Church of England High School, St Pancras coroner’s court heard. Another boy, also aged 13 at the time, was later arrested on suspicion of attempted murder but has not been charged.
The inquest into Karan’s death yesterday heard from Kierin Oppatt, a paramedic, who said 999 operators were told it was “just an allergic reaction”, but when he arrived on the scene, the teenager was “gasping for air” and had broken out in hives.
The boy fell unconscious and stopped breathing shortly after Mr Oppatt and his colleague arrived.
Mary Hassell, the senior coroner, asked the witness to go through the tragic events. Mr Oppatt said: “On arrival at the scene I immediately knew it was life threatening and that the patient had a high risk of going into cardiac and respiratory arrest. We were told by school staff that perhaps someone had chased the patient with cheese and had proceeded to throw it down his T-shirt.”
Mr Oppatt added: “When we arrived we saw Karan lying on his back on the floor with teachers around him. He appeared to be in a state of pre-arrest. He had very slow respiration – he was gasping for air. His skin was red and there appeared to be hives.” Mr Oppatt knew he had to call for help but had to go outside because his radio could not get enough reception.
When he returned, his colleague told him the boy had stopped breathing, so they started CPR, gave him adrenalin and used a defibrillator.
When additional crews arrived, Karan was taken to the ambulance, but he never regained consciousness and died, with his parents at his side, at Great Ormond Street Hospital on July 9.
‘He was a very, very bright young boy. He could have been anything he wanted. I brought him up by myself’
Rina Cheema, Karan’s mother, an accountant, his two brothers and sister were at court yesterday. Ms Cheema, 52, said she wanted “answers”. Speaking outside of court, she said: “I am devastated as a mother after losing my son and my family have lost their brother.
“He was a very, very bright young boy. He was so bright he could have been anything he wanted. I brought him up by myself. I trained him to read all about his condition.”
A family member, who did not wish to be named, said: “I’ve never met anyone like him in my life. He would have done anything for anyone.”
Det Sgt Christian Rodgers, while going through a list of potential witnesses with the coroner ahead of the full inquest, said: “The person involved is no longer at the school.” Outside court he said: “It was pupil on pupil.”