I don't like reading these stories. I don't like sharing them, or writing about them, and I hate even more that these things happen at all. I cannot fathom what life is like for Bruce Kelly's family now, it's just so heartbreaking. The 22-year-old man died of anaphylaxis after eating chocolates that he'd eaten previously without issue. The problem was that Mr. Kelly was allergic to nuts and peanuts, and these chocolates were labelled "may contain nuts," a warning he often disregarded his whole life with little fear.
It's so terrifying to think that someone can live with a life-threatening allergy for so long, but die at 22, when we assume they have a good handle on allergy management. We tend to worry the most when kids are really young, and unable to understand the severity of their allergies, but the truth is that nobody with severe allergies is ever really safe.
Now, some people with severe allergies never, ever eat foods with the "may contain" warning on the packaging, but here's the thing: that warning is optional, so even products without it can be (and often are) potential risks. For my family, there are things we take calculated risks with, but this story makes me feel like perhaps we're playing Russian roulette with our son's life. No amount of grey area is safe. After all, Bruce Kelly had eaten a number of chocolates from the box without issue, when just one more ended his life. He felt his risk was minimal -- in the past, he'd had reactions, but they'd been controlled with an emergency epinephrine injector. Turns out, no risk is really minimal.
The foods we've trusted in the past may not be safe. Anything that's processed in a factory that processes allergens is not safe. Nothing in a home with nuts is safe.
It's truly exhausting, but this seems to be the reality.
My deepest condolences are being sent to Bruce Kelly's family, and my thoughts are with all the people who, like our family, have to even worry about these things. It's so sad anyone has to die because a little bit of residue from an allergen is on a food they eat. How very tragic.
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