What should have been a comforting sip of hot chocolate turned into a heartbreaking twist of fate for a young girl from Barking, east London. Hannah Jacobs, a 13-year-old girl lost her life after consuming a hot chocolate that allegedly contained dairy. Hannah had a severe allergy to dairy, fish, and eggs, and she believed the drink was prepared using soya milk.
According to the Sun, Hannah’s mother purchased that hot chocolate from Costa Coffee shop prior to taking her to a dental appointment.Leigh Day’s legal representatives said that the mother had informed the barista about Hannah’s dairy intolerance. However, while waiting at the dental clinic, Hannah took a sip and immediately raised concerns that the drink contained dairy instead of soya milk.
Hannah was swiftly taken to a nearby pharmacy, where she received an EpiPen to counter the suspected anaphylactic reaction. An ambulance crew soon arrived and transported her to the hospital but despite numerous attempts to resuscitate her, Hannah passed away at 1 pm.
Starting Monday, an inquiry into her death will commence at the coroner’s court in east London, with the proceedings expected to span a week.
According to government data, approximately 2.4 million adults in the UK live with food allergies, and hospital admissions for severe allergic reactions have seen a threefold increase over the past two decades.
Anaphylaxis, the most severe form of allergic reaction, can lead to life-threatening breathing difficulties and cardiac emergencies.