A teen passed away after eating a meal while on vacation.
Lily King from the United Kingdom tragically died after consuming chicken and fries at a local restaurant while on vacation in Rabat, Morocco.
The 18-year-old, who had just completed her first year at Exeter University, was enjoying the trip with her mother Aicha, and on the last night, they decided to visit a restaurant they had gone to previously as they were sure that it could adhere to the teen's dietary restrictions.
Lily was highly allergic to dairy, fish, shellfish, sesame, and nuts so the 56-year-old communicated this to the staff at the establishment, even telling them in Arabic so there would be no misunderstandings.
"I explained to him [the waiter] in Arabic three times 'Please be careful, she is very, very allergic," the devastated mom told the Daily Mail. "He says 'Yeah no worry, we careful.'"
However, as soon as Lily started eating her meal, she suddenly began experiencing symptoms of an allergic reaction, gasping for air and vomiting.
"She got an itchy throat, which developed into sickness, stomach cramps, and breathing problems," her father Michael told the outlet.
The teenager attempted to use her Epi-Pen once she was allowed to leave as it was reported that staff initially tried to stop her and force her to settle the bill even when her life was in danger.
"They delayed her from leaving the restaurant by a few minutes that could have actually saved Lily's life," he added.
Aicha said she was already worried about the meal when it arrived at the table as it had some extra elements to her original order - which was a simple grilled chicken and fries with no oil.
However, the waiter assured the pair that it was just extra vegetables that had been cooked in olive oil and there was nothing to worry about.
While the 56-year-old continued to deliberate with the waiter, Lily had allegedly taken a bite of the carrots on the plate and started feeling uneasy.
"I can't breathe," she told her mother and even after trying some antihistamines which are supposed to help relieve some of the symptoms of an allergic reaction, things continued to get worse.
"I started calling the ambulance and we went outside, so she can try to breathe," Aicha recalled. "We [used] the Epi-Pen. But I left my bag inside the restaurant, and it had my passport and everything in it, I can't leave it, and I went [inside] to get it back.
"I told the restaurant, 'My daughter [is] dying outside.' He said to me, to pay the bill before you're leaving [sic]."
After giving them the money, the panicked mother ran back outside to her daughter who had already administered her second Epi-Pen but again, to no avail.
The ambulance she had called was also taking a while to arrive, so the mom took matters into her own hands and drove her child to the nearest facility, which took another 30 minutes.
In that time, Lily had taken her final breath, telling her mother "I love you, goodbye" before dying on her shoulder.
Lily had suffered a heart attack before having a catatonic fit which destroyed her brain function, leaving her brain dead.
"They kept her alive for three days and gave her another test and there was no brain function detectable, and we had to let her go," Michael said, noting that he and his oldest daughter from a previous marriage had rushed to Rabat after hearing about the news.
"'We told [the doctors] exactly what happened in the restaurant," Aicha said. "But on the death certificate that was issued subsequently, they said her cause of death was a heart attack."
The family is now seeking answers answers from the establishment, hoping to determine whether there was an allergen in the food or whether that had been some cross-contamination that led to Lily's death.
Paying tribute to their daughter, Michael said: "Lily was loved by many, many friends. We had 60 or 70 of her friends and colleagues at the funeral, and they all signed a book of condolences, and they said the most marvellous things about her; how she was a shining light and made everybody laugh, and how she helped them with their problems.
He continued: "She was a very caring girl and very intelligent. With all her problems, she still managed to get to grammar school and get three A-Levels with grades for Exeter University to study Economics."
The family is now raising awareness of the matter through their JustGiving page, hoping to fund more money into research on allergies.
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