The parents of a teenage girl who died in Morocco from an allergic reaction have urged others to be extra cautious eating out while on holiday. Lily King, 18, from Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire, was allergic to foods including nuts and sesame but her mother said they were reassured by a restaurant that she would be OK. An inquest at Milton Keynes Coroner's Court this week confirmed Lily died on 23 June 2024 from a cardio-respiratory arrest caused by anaphylaxis and triggered by food. Lily's father, Michael, said: "Most restaurants in the UK are very careful, but many other countries don't have compulsory training programmes for staff around allergies." He added: "Every time you eat out, especially abroad, it's Russian roulette. "Someone needs to warn people who are going on holiday to other countries – not only Morocco – to be very, very wary of eating out. Especially if you don't have the language." Lily had a catalogue of allergies for most of her life, the most severe being seafood, as well as nuts and sesame. After leaving home to study economics at Exeter University, her parents said the allergies became worse. "She wanted to be like her friends – a normal person. That led to her eating out more, but she was always very careful and carried her EpiPen and antihistamine pills. Lily suffered her first everanaphylactic shockthat year while at a festival, and was treated by St John Ambulance. Shortly afterwards she travelled to Morocco with her mum to visit family and celebrate completing her first year at university. They chose a restaurant that Lily loved and had been to before. Her mother, who comes from Morocco and speaks fluent Arabic, said she told restaurant staff three times about Lily's food allergies and what she could not eat, before ordering chicken and chips. "The restaurant staff said we had to eat something, and I told them she had allergies and we would rather not eat, but they insisted it would be fine," Lily's mother Aicha told the BBC. "I told them to be careful and they didn't listen." The meal arrived with other food and a sauce on the plate. "She literally took a tiny piece of food – we think it was carrot - and tasted it. She got an itchy tongue which she always had before a reaction," Michael said. "She took a Piriton (antihistamine tablet) and used her EpiPen. She said 'I'm going outside to get some air'." Her mum rushed out to join her and gave a second EpiPen injection. "She was being very, very strong, because she said, 'Don't stress mum, you know I love you. I love you. I'm very sorry, I'm going', and then she passed out," she said. A trip to the hospital was then delayed by two issues, the family said. The ambulance did not arrive, and Aicha said the restaurant insisted she paid for the food before leaving in her nephew's car. "The next day, she came around temporarily but then had a seizure. Later they did a brain scan, but there was no activity," said Michael. His daughter died in hospital four days after her visit to the restaurant. "We never believed it would come to this. We're devastated. "She meant the world to us, she was our baby. We had 18 marvellous years with her," he said. The family said it had tried to take the restaurant to court in order to raise the issue at a national level. "We only want the Moroccan government to realise how important it is, and for their hospitality industry to recognise that restaurants should be told to educate their staff. "I care about other families going through the same thing," said Michael. Nadim and Tanya Ednan-Laperouse, whose daughter Natashadied in 2016 from an allergic reaction to a baguette, said: "Lily's family did everything they could to keep her safe. "Yet on this occasion even though Lily and her mother flagged her allergies, it still went dreadfully wrong. "Lily's death highlights how dangerous food allergies can be and the potential risks of travelling abroad with food allergies." The UKFood Standards Agencystates that food retailers and caterers are required to provide allergen information, as set out in food law. They must: Follow Beds, Herts and Bucks news onBBC Sounds,Facebook,InstagramandX.
Parents' plea after girl's allergy death on holiday
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"Parents Urge Caution After Daughter's Allergy-Related Death in Morocco"
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TruthLens AI Summary
The tragic case of 18-year-old Lily King, who died from an allergic reaction while on holiday in Morocco, has prompted her parents to issue a heartfelt warning to others about the dangers of eating out while traveling. Lily, from Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire, had severe allergies to nuts, sesame, and seafood, conditions she had managed throughout her life. Her mother, Aicha, recounted how they were assured by restaurant staff that the food would be safe, despite her repeated disclosures about Lily's allergies. The inquest revealed that Lily suffered a cardio-respiratory arrest due to anaphylaxis after consuming a dish that contained allergens, leading to a devastating outcome for her family. Michael King, Lily's father, emphasized the lack of stringent allergy training in many countries, contrasting it with the more careful approach often found in UK restaurants. He described the experience of dining abroad as akin to “Russian roulette,” urging travelers to be exceptionally cautious, especially when language barriers exist.
Lily's journey with her allergies intensified after she began university, where she yearned to fit in with her peers and started eating out more frequently. Despite her diligence in carrying her EpiPen and antihistamines, her first anaphylactic shock occurred at a festival shortly before her trip to Morocco. During the fateful restaurant visit, after being assured of safety, she tasted a small piece of food and quickly experienced a reaction. Her mother administered her EpiPen, and despite efforts to get medical help, Lily's condition deteriorated rapidly. Tragically, she passed away four days later in the hospital. The King family has since sought legal recourse against the restaurant to raise awareness about food allergies and the need for better education within the hospitality industry. They hope their experience will encourage other families to be vigilant when traveling abroad, especially in countries where allergy protocols may not be as robust as in the UK. The story of Lily King serves as a poignant reminder of the potential risks associated with food allergies, particularly when traveling.
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