A 13-year-old girl tragically passed away after taking a sip from a hot chocolate from a popular coffee chain, per reports.
Hannah Jacobs, who had been severely allergic to dairy, fish, and eggs since early childhood, died just hours after taking a single sip of the hot beverage.
As reported by Sky News, the 13-year-old girl tragically lost her life after consuming a hot chocolate from Costa Coffee that was mistakenly made with dairy milk, despite her severe allergy.
The incident occurred on February 8, 2022, and was detailed during an inquest at East London Coroner's Court.
Her mother, Abimbola Duyile, recounted the heartbreaking events leading up to her daughter’s death.
Duyile explained that she had ordered two takeaway hot chocolates with soya milk at a Costa Coffee branch in Barking, East London, before taking Hannah to a dental appointment.
She informed the barista of her daughter’s life-threatening allergy to cow’s milk and requested that the milk jug be thoroughly cleaned to avoid cross-contamination, a request to which the staff agreed.
However, as the court heard, shortly after leaving the coffee shop, Hannah took a sip of her drink and immediately realized something was wrong.
“She abruptly got up and went to the toilet and shouted, ‘that was not soya milk,’” Duyile recalled, describing how her daughter began coughing and showing signs of a severe allergic reaction.
The situation quickly worsened as Hannah complained of chest pains, her lips and mouth became swollen, and she experienced intense itching.
Duyile rushed her daughter to a nearby chemist, but the teenager collapsed upon arrival.
Despite being administered an EpiPen injection and efforts by a pharmacist to resuscitate her, Hannah was pronounced dead at the hospital by 1:00PM, according to the family’s lawyers.
As reported by the Guardian, the inquest also heard from Dr. Rahul Chodhari, who had been involved in Hannah’s allergy management.
He stated that an early dose of adrenaline could have been crucial for her survival. Given Hannah's weight of 47kg (103lbs), she would have required more than the 150mcg dose she received.
"150mcg was certainly too small a dose to be given," Dr. Chodhari noted. When asked if Hannah could have survived had she received the proper dose within nine minutes of consuming the drink, Dr. Chodhari responded, "Yes."
Reflecting on the incident, Duyile expressed her anguish in court.
“My initial response was of anger to the Costa Coffee staff - it gave way to terror,” she said.
She emphasized that she had been particularly cautious when placing the order, saying she “made sure that the staff were aware that this was not a joke.”
She admitted to being "extra picky" with the order, acknowledging that she might have come across as overbearing, but felt it was necessary given the severity of her daughter's allergy.
"Hannah was busy telling me off for being so picky," Duyile noted, adding that she believed the barista "did not understand what I was saying," which led her to lean forward and speak more clearly to ensure her instructions were followed.
The inquest into Hannah's death is ongoing.
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