A teenage girl has tragically lost her life after eating a bagel she found at an airport, an inquest has heard.
Natasha Ednan-Laperouse from Fulham in London, who was 15 years old at the time, collapsed on a flight from London Heathrow Airport to Nice in 2016, suffering a severe allergic reaction to sesame, believed to be acquired from a bagel from Pret a Manger - who confirmed that they do not note down the ingredients on their packaging.
West London Coroner's Court are set to hear how despite her father administering two EpiPen shots, her daughter died within hours of collapsing at a hospital in France.
On July 17 2016, Natasha sat in Terminal 5 at Heathrow Airport, travelling from London to Nice after finishing the school year, believed to be travelling for a "special treat" with her father and her best friend. In the inquest, it was confirmed that the teenager ate an artichoke, olive and tapenade from Pret a Manger, but Natasha was reportedly not aware that there was sesame in the sandwich, baked into the bread rather than placed on top of the baguette.
Once her father Nadim Ednan-Laperouse noticed his daughter's throat was feeling itchy and red hives started to appear on her body, he administered the first EpiPen shot, he said in a statement read by the family lawyer Jeremy Hyam, who became emotional as he read the statement.
Nadim issued the second shot after his daughter's condition did not improve. "Natasha said that she still couldn't breathe and desperately looked at me, she said 'Daddy, help me, I can't breathe'," the grieving father said in the statement, and as his hopes began to fade, he put a phone to Natasha's ear so her mother and brother could say goodbye.
In response to Natasha's death, Pret a Manger said it was "deeply saddened", while Nadim Ednan-Laperouse - the founder of Wow Toys company - went into detail about the agony Natasha's surviving family were in. "It's a daily battle and the pain is indescribable," he said in the statement.
"As a family now of three, my wife, son and I are still trying to adjust to life without our beloved girl. Everything we say and do is a reminder that she isn't with us - her empty bedroom, school uniform hanging in her wardrobe, her holiday bag packed for her holiday in Nice has never been unpacked. We can't bear to."
For their part in the incident, Pret a Manger expressed their sadness and regret over Natasha's passing, saying that while nutritional information was available online, there was no such indication on the packaging, and that they would do whatever it took to help with the inquest.
"We were deeply saddened to hear about Natasha's tragic death, and our heartfelt thoughts are with her family and friends. We take food allergies and how allergen information is provided to our customers extremely seriously. We will continue to do all that we can to assist the coroner's inquest."
The inquest began on Monday, and is expected to go for five days.
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