A Scots teenager nearly died on her 18th birthday after suffering a severe allergic reaction while out for a celebratory lunch with her family. Eve Jenkinson was rushed to hospital after eating half a slice of bruschetta before immediately realising it may have contained traces of cashew nuts.
The 18-year-old tried to make herself sick, took antihistamines and administered her EpiPen as her lips began to swell up - prompting her worried parents to call 999. The sixth year pupil was whisked to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh by paramedics where doctors battled to stabilise her breathing on Sunday, March 26.
Dad Stephen, 47, told Edinburgh Live how waiting for news about his daughter’s condition was “the longest half hour of my life”. He said: “They had to give her adrenaline through an IV drip, but she had had so much adrenaline they were worried about her heart and trying to get her heart back to normal.
"We went from A&E to the ICU because she needed one-to-one monitoring. The next six-eight hours after the shock are critical. She was on oxygen all night. It was quite a traumatic experience. Eve doesn't really remember anything about it.
"She remembers being in the restaurant and getting her EpiPen then being in the ambulance but that's all. I'm quite a calm person but it was really traumatic. I genuinely thought I was going to lose her on Sunday."
The dad-of-two added: "All four of us just went for lunch at a local pub on Sunday - Eve ordered Bruschetta which we didn't think would be problematic but we believe the sauce must have contained some trace to cashew nuts or cashew nut oil. She has a nut allergy but cashews and peanuts are the most severe.
"She ate half of one slice of bruschetta, and straight away she said she ate something she shouldn't have and tried to go and make herself sick. She took a couple of antihistamines, but I could see her lips were starting to swell so we gave her the EpiPen too and called 999.
"After calling the ambulance, it was there in around five minutes. They stayed there and were monitoring her. She perked up a bit but then started to get worse, then my wife and Eve went in the ambulance to the Royal Infirmary and I followed with my 14-year-old son in the car.
"They were only in the ambulance for ten minutes at around 2pm on the Sunday afternoon when she took a turn for the worse. She got taken straight to resus and they started to work on her. Eve was going downhill quite quickly.
"More and more nurses and doctors were getting called over and I was ushered away so they could work on her properly. It's natural that you start thinking the worst because we have lived with this for her whole life.
"For a parent with a child with allergies, this is your worst nightmare. It was the longest half hour of my life. Then the doctor told us they had stabilised her breathing and she was later moved to the ICU.”
Despite the frightening experience just days ago, the 18-year-old is back at home and recovering for her upcoming exams.
The Labour councillor for Pentland Hills said: "Eve is getting ready to sit her final exams now and she wants to be a nurse, and that's always been her aspiration. She has been hospitalised quite a lot growing up with her asthma so I think that has had an impact.
"You realise how many people are involved in caring for someone in a critical condition, you don't know their names or what exactly they are doing whether it is the porter, or a consultant signing off that you can go home to all the doctors and nurses in between.
"Not only did they save my daughter's life, it really opened up my eyes to how many people are involved in saving someone in critical condition. I never want to go through that again but it was inspirational to see first-hand and makes you really appreciate the NHS.
"It can easily happen to people who are well-prepared to deal with serious allergies. It's literally life or death. If we hadn't called an ambulance or been ten minutes from the hospital Eve wouldn't have survived."
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