A mother has issued a dire food allergy warning after her 12-year-old had a severe allergic reaction to cinnamon bread cross-contaminated with nuts, which caused her throat to nearly swell up.
Angie Keizer of Atlanta, Georgia, slept while her daughter Sydney Keizer prepared a Christmas snack on December 16. The tween felt her tongue swell and her throat begin to constrict as she stormed into her mother’s room.
“She yanked open the door, turned on the light and said, ‘You have to give me my epi!'” Angie told Today that she had to administer Sydney’s epinephrine auto-injector for the first time.
Georgia’s mother Angie Keizer described how her 12-year-old daughter Sydney Keizer had a severe allergic reaction after eating cinnamon bread cross-contaminated with nuts
The tween felt her tongue swell and her throat tighten as she burst into her mother’s room and asked for her epinephrine auto-injector. Her parents then took her to the hospital, where she was closely monitored as the epinephrine wore off
The medical device delivers a dose of epinephrine, which is used to treat severe allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis. The mother always thought she would be nervous about injecting the drug into her daughter’s thigh, but she jumped into action.
“If you see your child in need, just know,” she said, noting she didn’t waste time asking questions or checking the bread label. “It all happened very quickly.”
Angie and her husband then took their daughter to the emergency room, where she was given Benadryl and a dose of steroids. She was closely monitored to ensure she had no further reaction once the epinephrine wore off.
Sydney was two years old when she was diagnosed with an allergy to peanuts and tree nuts after reacting to peanut butter.
When she was two, Sydney was diagnosed with an allergy to peanuts and tree nuts, but none of the allergens were listed on the cinnamon bread’s ingredient label
Angie told Today it was a cross-contamination issue, noting the label said the bread was baked in a facility that baked “tree nuts”. [and] Eggs may be used”
The family watched what they ate and managed to avoid their allergens for more than a decade. This was the first time she needed her epinephrine auto-injector, which her mother accidentally refilled eight days before the incident, months after it expired.
The cinnamon bread was from a brand Sydney trusted, and the label didn’t list any ingredients that would cause an allergic reaction.
“That was a cross-contamination issue. The label says it’s made in a bakery that produces tree nuts [and] Eggs can be used,” Angie explained. “She eats that brand of bagels all the time, and it has the same warning, so we had the bread picked up that day and she decided to have it as a snack that night.”
The mom shared her story on Instagram on Dec. 17 to raise awareness about food allergies and the importance of always having an epinephrine auto-injector on hand.
The mom shared her story on Instagram on Dec. 17 to raise awareness about food allergies and the importance of always having an epinephrine auto-injector
Noting that she acted quickly and didn’t hesitate to administer Sydney’s adrenaline auto-injector, Angie said it was better “to be safe”.
“I’ve read too many stories about tragedies that happened when epi was not given or not given soon enough,” she wrote. “I didn’t ask her when she said she needed the epi. Didn’t look for the bread to check the label. I didn’t offer her Benadryl first. She knew what she needed because she listened to her body. And she told us.
“Grateful for all the brave families who have shared their stories over the years,” she continued. “Because of these stories we acted quickly and our girl is home today resting.
PS: According to every allergist we have ever worked with, if it turns out that no allergic reaction occurs, there is no harm in administering a single dose of Epi. Choose safe instead of sorry!’ she closed.
The candid post, which included a picture of her daughter in the hospital, has garnered more than 18,000 likes and 560 comments.
“Based on all the stories I’ve read of other families that have been through similar situations where children didn’t survive, it’s because they didn’t get that epinephrine at all or not fast enough,” she told Today . “My only hope in sharing all the details is to help someone feel more prepared when it happens for them.”