Sweet leaves boy fighting for breath
ATEENAGER was rushed to hospital after one bite of a sweetie bar that contained cashew nuts left him struggling to breathe. Laura Kennedy’s 13-year-old son Robin has had serious allergies to certain foods including nuts all his life but had never suffered a reaction.
But on July 22, he went into Anaphylactic shock at his home in Houston after eating a bar that contained nuts. By the time he was on his way to Glasgow’s Children’s Hospital he had developed a rash, was sick and was struggling to breath.
Anaphylaxis is a severe and potentially life-threatening allergic reaction affecting more than one body system such as the airways, heart, circulation, gut and skin.
Symptoms can start within seconds or minutes of exposure to the food or substance you are allergic to and usually will progress rapidly.
Laura, who works as a healthcare support worker at the Royal Alexandra Hospital, said: “It started just before 6pm and we knew something was wrong right away.
“He had taken one bite of a bar which contained cashew nuts. We firstly tried him on Piriton and his inhaler but that wasn’t enough.
“He’s always had an Epipen for emergencies and for the first time, he needed to use it.
“The emergency ambulance came really quickly and even though it seemed under control by that point, we headed for the Royal Hospital for Children as Anaphylaxis can re-occur as the adrenalin subsides.
“It was scary but we also knew he has in good hands.”
As soon as they arrived at the RHC, Robin was rushed to resus, where he was given three more shots of adrenalin to bring his allergic reaction under control.
Laura said: “Despite how serious the situation was, everyone remained so calm and professional and I think that’s what kept me and Robin calm too.
“He remained in resus for a while as they had to get his saturation levels under control.
“I was so impressed with how they treated him.”
He had taken one bite of a bar which contained cashew nuts
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