My son texted me a picture of a snack he was enjoying… then his phone went silent – he’ll never be the same again
A TRAUMATISED mum told how her allergic son texted a picture of the snack he was enjoying before his phone went silent forever.
George Cadman-Ithell sent a haunting message to his mum, Louise Cadman, with a picture of the cured sausages and wrote “these are nice”.
But just three minutes later, the 25-year-old sent a panicked text which read: “F***, they contain walnuts”.
Louise replied: “You’ve not eaten any have you?” to which her son said: “Yes”.
George hadn’t spotted the “aux noix” labelling on the salami packaging, which also stated “with walnuts” in English.
After a frantic two minute conversation, terrified parent never heard from her son again, after begging him to phone the emergency services.
When she stopped receiving responses, Louise rushed over to George’s flat where she found paramedics giving him CPR.
The young man had run home from the shops in just under 10 minutes, and husband Joe Nolan had administered an EpiPen.
But tragically George went into cardiac arrest and his brain was starved of oxygen for 26 minutes, causing severe brain damage.
He remains in a vegetative state at a rehabilitation unit at Northwick Park Hospital in Harrow, North West London.
The university graduate has been given three years to live and doctors informed his family he is unlikely to recover, despite being able to open his eyes and breath on his own.
“He can definitely hear. If he’s asleep, for example, and Joe comes in and says hello, George immediately opens his eyes,” mum Louise told The Times.
George had been diagnosed with a tree nut allergy when he was five-years-old after reacting to a Guylian seashell chocolate at his grandparents’ house.
Tests also revealed the youngster was allergic to crustaceans such as prawns.
But, during the 15 allergic reactions he had to nuts in his lifetime, the 25-year-old never needed to use his EpiPen.
He had always managed his episodes with antihistamine tablets.
The Cadman family is now being supported by the Natasha Allergy Research Foundation (Narf) which was set up in memory of Natasha Ednan-Laperouse.
Natasha, 15, who was allergic to sesame, tragically died in 2016 after eating a Pret a Manger baguette containing the ingredient.
Now Louise, from Upminster, East London, has spoken about what happened to George in the hopes of raising awareness.
She said: “It’s just destroyed us. I can’t bear the thought of this happening to another family.”
The devastated mother also told how “Joe is broken” as “George was in the happiest place of his life”.
George is also being missed by dad Tony Ithell, and siblings Alexandra, 32, Joe, 22, and Lily, 19.
“He did his best to avoid nuts and if he was out in restaurants, he would always declare it,” Louise explained.
“But, equally, I think he thought, ‘Oh well if they give me something by mistake I’m just gonna be a bit sick’, and it was never more than that.”
Louise told how her son previously suffered reactions on holiday during which “he’d vomit for an hour or so, his lips would swell and his throat would itch” – however he had never had to administer his EpiPen.
The signs of an allergic reaction and anaphylaxis + what to do
SYMPTOMS of an allergy usually occur within minutes of contact with with the offending food or trigger, but they can also come on up to one hour later.
Most allergic reactions are mild but they can also be moderate or severe.
Anaphylaxis is the most severe form of allergic reaction which can be life threatening.
In some cases, anaphylaxis symptoms lead to collapse and unconsciousness and, on rare occasions, can be fatal so it’s important to know how to recognise them and act quickly.
Mild to moderate symptoms include:
- Itchy mouth, tongue and throat
- Swelling of lips, around the eyes or face
- Red raised itchy rash (often called nettle rash, hives or urticaria)
- Vomiting, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhoea
- Runny nose and sneezing
Severe symptoms of anaphylaxis include:
- Swelling of your throat and tongue
- Difficulty breathing or breathing very fast
- Difficulty swallowing, tightness in your throat or a hoarse voice
- Wheezing, coughing or noisy breathing
- Feeling tired or confused
- Feeling faint, dizzy or fainting
- Skin that feels cold to the touch
- Blue, grey or pale skin, lips or tongue – if you have brown or black skin, this may be easier to see on the palms of your hands or soles of your feet
Anaphylaxis and its symptoms should be treated as a medical emergency.
Follow these steps if you think you or someone you’re with is having an anaphylactic reaction:
- Use an adrenaline auto-injector (such as an EpiPen) if you have one – instructions are included on the side of the injector.
- Call 999 for an ambulance and say that you think you’re having an anaphylactic reaction.
- Lie down – you can raise your legs, and if you’re struggling to breathe, raise your shoulders or sit up slowly (if you’re pregnant, lie on your left side).
- If you have been stung by an insect, try to remove the sting if it’s still in the skin.
- If your symptoms have not improved after 5 minutes, use a second adrenaline auto-injector.
Do not stand or walk at any time, even if you feel better.
Sources: Allergy UK, NHS
But when George ate the salami containing walnuts he went into severe anaphylactic shock.
Louise explained: “They had no food in the house because they were packing up, so George ran to the shops.
“He was busy. His mind was elsewhere. We always used to call him the absent-minded professor because he’s brilliantly clever, but common sense?
“Not always. I can imagine him just picking up the snack and saying, ‘Oh, I’ve had these before’ and not looking at the label.”
The heartbroken mum also believes the eight-minute run home George undertook may have made his condition worse.
NHS guidance warns people in anaphylaxis should avoid heightened activity, instead they should lie down and raise their legs tp help improve blood flow to vital organs.
Louise issued an urgent warning to even mild allergy sufferers to pay close attention to food labels.
“If you’ve got an allergy, it can go from being relatively mild to fatal from one attack to the next,” she said.
“This is a time of year when people are trying new foods and eating out and going to people’s houses, and they perhaps become complacent like George did.”
Two weeks before the tragedy George had graduated with a first-class degree in urban planning, design and management from University College London.
He and Joe had been planning on moving in with his grandmother Susan Cadman, so the pair could save money while George studied for a master’s degree.
Natasha's Law
By Ben Griffiths
THE family of an allergy sufferer who died after eating a poorly-labelled Pret sandwich on a BA jet have told how they have forgiven the high street giant.
Grieving Nad and Tanya Ednan-Laperouse, whose daughter Natasha died in 2016, have even praised the sandwich chain for leading the way in implementing new packaging rules.
Natasha’s Law – named after the 15-year-old – requires businesses to list every ingredient on pre-packaged food.
In an exclusive interview, the family spoke of their “great pride” at getting the historic new regulations in place.
They mean an item like the artichoke, olive and tapenade baguette, which Natasha died after eating, will now have to list all 34 ingredients – instead of the THREE it displayed five years ago.
Speaking to The Sun on Sunday, Tanya, who with Nad has won an OBE for her work in getting the law passed, said: “I know that Natasha would be ever so pleased this law is coming into force and we’ve managed to get it passed.
“You can’t do anything if you are filled with hate so we have forgiven Pret. It doesn’t make up for the fact she is not here now but Pret have actually led the way on changing their packaging.
“They’ve spent millions getting their packaging in line and educating staff on allergies.
“The new law means tens of millions of sandwiches across the UK will now have to detail everything it contains from the small trace of ingredients.”
Natasha was on her way to Nice, in France, for a summer holiday with Nad and her best friend Bethany Holloway in July 2016 when she bought the baguette from Pret a Manger at Heathrow Airport.
It contained hidden sesame seeds, something she was allergic to but the ingredient was not labelled on the packet. Shortly after take-off, Natasha had a reaction.
Nad rushed her to the toilet and gave her two shots of adrenaline from her EpiPens which he expected would fight off the reaction.
Her last words were “I can’t breathe, I’m suffocating, help me Daddy”, before she suffered a fatal heart attack.
An inquest in 2018 into Natasha’s death blasted Pret for its “inadequate” labelling and fault in Natasha’s death, making the company vow to make a “meaningful change”.
Nad and Tanya launch their mission to get a law changed after the inquest. It now means any fresh item prepared on the premises of sale will now have to list every ingredient it contains.
To visit the Natasha Allergy Research Foundation go to www.narf.org.uk.