Allergies can be fatal if not attended properly

Amber Norman, 12-year-old girl died after eating a single sweet as she suffered from nut allergy.

She assumed that it was a strawberry cream cake but had failed to identify the chocolate-covered Brazil nut.

She suddenly developed difficulty in breathing and lost consciousness in an hour’s time. She was immediately rushed to the Southampton General Hospital, but her heart stopped, causing irreversible brain damage.

Five days later, her mother Sandra took the decision to turn off her life support. She had never been formally been diagnosed otherwise the general practioner who treated her would have saved the kid’s life with an Epi-pen.

Allergy sufferers use this to give themselves a life-saving adrenaline shot. This occurred while Amber was at the Quilley School of Engineering in Eastleigh, Hampshire.

Mrs. Norman, 42, who is working as a supervisor at Southern Water was asked to come home immediately from work.

She said that her child was on her knees and had difficulty in breathing. Coroner Keith Wiseman recorded a verdict of death resulting from an allergic reaction.

Amber's mother urged the manufacturers to label wrappers of individual sweets with a large 'N' if they contain nuts. She said that her daughter always avoided foods that contained nuts.

Mrs. Norman said that she was not blaming anybody for this but was deeply shaken by the incident. She also aid that the number of children developing some level of nut allergy is on the rise and about one in fifty suffers from this condition.

Mrs. Norman urged other parents to have their children tested for a nut allergy if they showed even the smallest reaction to them. She said that it was her fault that she did not get her daughter checked thoroughly.