A schoolboy with a severe peanut allergy died after eating a sweet made from the nuts at a religious festival. An inquest into the tragic death of Aaron O’Farrell at Chesterfield Coroner’s Court heard there were no warnings on the packaging that the sweet was made entirely from peanuts.
The youngster had been at a Hindu religious festival in Birmingham, held 20 days before Diwali, the festival of lights. The sweets were given out by organisers as worshippers left the event.
The 11-year-old was at home with his parents James and Jayne just before lunchtime when he ate a small piece of the sweet.
Within moments he started feeling sick and was given a soft drink, but soon began having difficulty breathing.
His brother gave him a shot from his epipen and he was still conscious when paramedics arrived, but then went into cardiac arrest.
By the time the ambulance had raced the seven miles from his semi-detached home in Doe Lea, Derbys, to Chesterfield Royal Hospital his heart had stopped beating.
Medics battled to save the “kind and courageous” youngster, but he was pronounced dead later in hospital.
Chesterfield Coroners Court heard Aaron had been diagnosed with a peanut allergy when he was five after he had suffered skin rashes and a wheezy chest after being in the same room as peanuts.
A post mortem after the fatal incident on Sunday 28, September, 2014, showed an “abundance of mucus” and blood in his airways which was consistent with a severe allergic reaction.
Tests showed increase levels of the enzyme tryptase which confirmed Aaron had suffered anaphylaxis.
Aaron had started secondary school the day before he died.
