Doctor Dies From Allergic Reaction After Raglan Road Meal at Disney Springs

[mn51]

The autopsy report shows antibodies to SEVEN nuts in her blood stream. There is no dish on that menu with that many nuts. She came in contact with mixed nuts, most likely nut dust, and a lot of it.

It was also reported that they went to Planet Hollywood after Raglan Road and had something to eat there as well.

 

[Mle8308]

Devastatingly sad.

Having seen this upfront with my nephew who has a peanut allergy, and other friends who have severe allergies, it’s not easy.

And I’ll never forgive the vile poster here who said she’d bring extra peanuts and peanut butter sandwiches on a plane if they ever did away with serving them for allergy reasons.

That is an awful thing to say! And they have basically gotten away from serving peanuts on planes because it's easier overall. Years ago I was on a flight and they announced they would not be serving peanuts due to a person with a allergy on board. In the past few years, I can't remember a fight where peanuts were a choice. It's usually cheez-its or some other cracker/chip. Makes total sense. For some people, even a peanut that got dropped and fell between the seats could cause a deadly reaction. Not good at 30K feet!

 

[Grace&Carolinesmom]

Just wanted to add one more thing........

I DO hope that Disney makes one critical change that could help those who aren't as Disney obsessed as those of us posting on this board. I would like Disney to put a disclaimer near the top of the landing page on MDE for all restaurants that are not owned and operated by Disney. It would be most helpful to see that information immediately before proceeding to read the menu, check for ressies, etc. It would also be prudent to have clear signage inside the front door of the restaurant and printed on the menu disclaimers.

 

[mkatsy]

As someone with the same nut allergy as her, and a milk sensitivity, I would also question some of the choices made that day. The woman’s father has stated that she has had this lethal allergy since childhood. Why would they choose a food (the fritters) that came in a lethal and non lethal (vegan) version. You are automatically putting yourself in a position of 50/50 chance that you get served food that can kill you. Then, when served a dish that is not marked “non lethal” you accept the dish, and place your life on the word of the wait staff. What ??? Send the food back, this is dangerous. Order something else. I would have ordered a plain grilled chicken breast with no coating or breading so I can see the meat. Get a side of fruit or plain boiled pasta dry. It doesn’t make sense. Something just doesn’t add up … and I hope we don’t see these folks on dateline.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

Part of the reason for this is because so many people fake allergies. I work in healthcare and I can't count the number of times people swear they are allergic only to be found eating said allergY

Then you know some folks have food intolerances. They have it rough. If they say they have an intolerance, they get mocked and are even more likely to be accused of over-reacting/fakery. If they say allergy, then they get policed if they eat anything that has a trace or just a risk of cross exposure.

Adults with food allergies and intolerances are constantly being watched and policed. I understand wanting to protect someone, but it is also annoying to be constantly treated like a child by strangers who think they know your body better than you do.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

I was going to bring this up but didn't want to get that far into it but yup it's a joke because it's made a joke by so many people claiming they have allergies when they don't.

Except again, many folks have food intolerances. At best, if they say 'intolerance' they can expect to have to explain in detail, what that is.

Food allergy hostility is VERY pervasive. Everyone I have met w/a food allergy, especially anyone who is over 40, has been accused of fakery, and had strangers take it upon themselves to 'test' to see if the allergy is 'real.' Attitudes about allergies have somewhat evolved since the 1970s (and earlier) but only some. Many folks of a certain age learned to hide their allergies to avoid the rampant bullying.

I think the real reason people bully this condition is because they are afraid of food allergies.

 

[reddog21]

I think the real reason people bully this condition is because they are afraid of food allergies.

I disagree, it's because there are so many people precieved to be self diagnosing themself. Perception and reality are viewed very differently.

It's no different then the mass amount of people now using scooters, do you truly need the scooter or are you just lazy?? If you see a middle age person who is over weight riding a scooter(be honest) what's your first thought? That person may have a physical aliment and needs the scooter but that's not perception. On the flip side if you see an elderly person riding a scooter you just assume that can't walk very far so they need the scooter. Just stand in line at any bus stop at Disney when they load a scooter, the reaction between person a and person b is vastly different. I don't think anyone is mad because they might be in a scooter one day.

 

[mkatsy]

Just read the lawsuit after eating at the restaurant, the husband returned to their hotel and the MIL and the deceased went shopping. The two women split up and when the deceased did not answer her phone at the agreed upon time the MIL left and returned to the hotel. What the actual f@$@? The poor doctor is lying in planet Hollywood fighting for her life and instead of searching for her, her husband and his mommy are hanging out in the hotel room. Is this a joke? His wife does not show up at the agreed upon time and he is not turning that place upside down looking for her?

 

[Mle8308]

Just read the lawsuit after eating at the restaurant, the husband returned to their hotel and the MIL and the deceased went shopping. The two women split up and when the deceased did not answer her phone at the agreed upon time the MIL left and returned to the hotel. What the actual f@$@? The poor doctor is lying in planet Hollywood fighting for her life and instead of searching for her, her husband and his mommy are hanging out in the hotel room. Is this a joke? His wife does not show up at the agreed upon time and he is not turning that place upside down looking for her?

Like another poster mentioned, is this a new episode of Dateline in the making? It's definitely a strange (and awful) story with some things that don't seem to add up.

 

[brent02139]

She most likely came in contact with the allergens very close to Planet Hollywood. I don’t believe such irreversible anaphylaxis had a 45 minute delay before it kicked in … the first few bites would have triggered symptoms, even if it was just itching and tingling.

You don't know that, allergy doesn't always work right away.

My son's school called to tell us that he got into dairy snack when teachers weren't watching. They told us he is fine and will keep an eye on him. DW told me they say it's fine, I wasn't comfortable so I came home from work and parked outside of the school. 1 hr after he had ingested, teachers reported he was having trouble breathing, and came to get me. I was able to manage it (former medic) but it just goes to show there's no "One scenario" of how allergic reaction plays out.

 

[mkatsy]

You don't know that, allergy doesn't always work right away.

My son's school called to tell us that he got into dairy snack when teachers weren't watching. They told us he is fine and will keep an eye on him. DW told me they say it's fine, I wasn't comfortable so I came home from work and parked outside of the school. 1 hr after he had ingested, teachers reported he was having trouble breathing, and came to get me. I was able to manage it (former medic) but it just goes to show there's no "One scenario" of how allergic reaction plays out.

there are so many bigger issues with this story, those allergens might have been in the mother in laws purse for all we know. Let the lawyers figure it out.

 

[brent02139]

there are so many bigger issues with this story, those allergens might have been in the mother in laws purse for all we know. Let the lawyers figure it out.

I agree, thats why you shouldn’t be making statements like “She most likely came in contact with the allergens very close to Planet Hollywood.” Without facts to back it up

 

[tom1944]

How do they prove the cause of the allergic reaction came from that specific restaurant?

 

[kc51570]

Just read the lawsuit after eating at the restaurant, the husband returned to their hotel and the MIL and the deceased went shopping. The two women split up and when the deceased did not answer her phone at the agreed upon time the MIL left and returned to the hotel. What the actual f@$@? The poor doctor is lying in planet Hollywood fighting for her life and instead of searching for her, her husband and his mommy are hanging out in the hotel room. Is this a joke? His wife does not show up at the agreed upon time and he is not turning that place upside down looking for her?

I don’t think they have to put all those details in a filing. There will be investigations by the insurance companies and both sets of lawyers. Maybe the MIL waited for an hour at their agreed meeting place and thought she had left. People’s phones run out of battery all the time at Disney. It also didn’t sound like they were just hanging out, but rather calling her phone. When they finally got through, it was someone at the hospital who answered.
A woman died due to an anaphylactic reaction whether it was at the restaurant or some other contact in Disney Springs Which is tragic and not her or her family’s fault. Some people in this thread are familiar with serious allergies, others are clearly not.

 

[CynBeth]

And as for dairy vs milk allergy, it has become interesting b/c if you say milk allergy, no one thinks of butter - if you say dairy, folks sometimes also include eggs/mayo.

Since I have more issues if someone thinks less broadly vs more broadly (and most places here have dairy boxes to check on allergy menus, not milk ones - this may be region specific), I always say Dairy. Especially since another problem is many hear "milk" and think "intolerance", and that's a big problem for me.

So, I do disagree with the person who says always say "milk allergy" vs "dairy allergy" - in the allergy world, better for folks making and cooking your food to be too safe vs not safe enough. And better for them to hear a word that always references allergies vs one that many people have an intolerance for.

I agree. My DH has Crohn’s Disease and can’t have dairy or else he will be running to the restroom a lot more than usual so he says he has a dairy allergy at restaurants and explains what that includes. He also can’t have any spice that is hot like black pepper. Don’t want to jinx but Disney does a great job accommodating him as have other places we have been.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

I disagree, it's because there are so many people precieved to be self diagnosing themself. Perception and reality are viewed very differently.

It's no different then the mass amount of people now using scooters, do you truly need the scooter or are you just lazy?? If you see a middle age person who is over weight riding a scooter(be honest) what's your first thought? That person may have a physical aliment and needs the scooter but that's not perception. On the flip side if you see an elderly person riding a scooter you just assume that can't walk very far so they need the scooter. Just stand in line at any bus stop at Disney when they load a scooter, the reaction between person a and person b is vastly different. I don't think anyone is mad because they might be in a scooter one day.

Um, I'm inclined to think they have good cause to use one, but I don't give the issue much thought.

Alas, I fractured my ankle 5 months ago. Overall, people - strangers have been kind. Without me asking, they hold the door for me, offer to help me in the grocery store. I don't sense any have questioned my needing any of the many mobility devices I have used. (Wheelchair, knee scooter, Walker, cane, Scooter, mobility boot, etc. I've used a LOT of different options in a short span of time!)

I have also had a number of very odd encounters. Multiple times, strangers have grabbed my hand without even asking, even though I did not ask, and was already being helped by a family member.

Some folks also feel a need to talk VERY LOUDLY to me, as if I have lost my hearing, not people I know, random strangers. Others talk to me/treat me as if I am simple minded, like maybe I've had a stroke or have Alzheimer's or something. That too is very odd.

 

[Becky Mouse]

Our son has severe dairy allergies. Which region is this so we can avoid! He is now allergic to human milk as well (which he drank until he was 15 months old).

Just as an FYI, my son reacted to (cow) dairy proteins when he was a baby. It wasn't an allergy but more like a severe intolerance. His intestinal lining would shed, and his diapers would be filled with this bloody mucous stuff. I didn't give him cow's milk as a baby, but he would get the cow's milk proteins through my milk. So, he was reacting to what I ate!

So, as his mother & milk producer, I had to stop eating and drinking dairy. I don't eat beef, but if I did, I would also have had to stop eating beef. They told me he would probably grow out of it, and he did. By the time he was about a year old, I could start incorporating low-protein (high fat) dairy products into my diet, and then by 18 months he was able to eat low protein (high fat) dairy products, too.

The only reason I'm saying that is to let you know that what you eat can impact your milk, so I wonder if he was reacting to that... your diet! It's kind of wild.... maybe you'll never really know if it was your actual milk, or if it was the dairy proteins you ate showing up in your milk.

 

[mkatsy]

I don’t think they have to put all those details in a filing. There will be investigations by the insurance companies and both sets of lawyers. Maybe the MIL waited for an hour at their agreed meeting place and thought she had left. People’s phones run out of battery all the time at Disney. It also didn’t sound like they were just hanging out, but rather calling her phone. When they finally got through, it was someone at the hospital who answered.
A woman died due to an anaphylactic reaction whether it was at the restaurant or some other contact in Disney Springs Which is tragic and not her or her family’s fault. Some people in this thread are familiar with serious allergies, others are clearly not.

She had never been to Disney and it was the first night of their trip. When your wife is alone, and does not show up as expected, you go look for her and make sure she’s ok.

 

[Disturbia]

This is an absolute tragedy. My heart aches for the family.

I do not think this is a Disney responsibility for payment as they do not own or operate Raglan Road.

My DD22 is highly allergic to peanuts and is also allergic to tree nuts, eggs, melons and unprocessed soy. There are many restaurants we will not visit because their menu contains too many peanuts and/or tree nuts. It's just not worth the risk of cross contamination.

We learned our lesson with non-Disney owned/operated on property restaurants many years ago when staying at CSR. Back when the Pepper Market had serving stations, a chef walked me through each counter with her allergens. DD loved Italian food at the time and he assured me the kitchen did not even stock egg containing noodles so pasta would be safe. A few nights later, we ordered the pasta with marinara sauce for a second time. The noodles given on her plate were a different shape. They looked like wide egg noodles. I asked the CM 2 times to make sure they had no egg. Both times she denied any egg ingredients. After sitting down at the table, my DD was about to take a bite and I pulled the fork away and took a bite myself. I could tell by the texture something was different. I took the food back to the station and demanded to see the chef. This chef also said no eggs in it but he would go double check. Well, when he returned, he admitted the noodles did indeed contain egg. Ridiculous. They just don't seem to have the same attention to detail or urgency that Disney owned establishments possess.

Scary, but unfortunately we’ve had similar experiences overseas and across the border (Mexico and Canada).

 

[kc51570]

She had never been to Disney and it was the first night of their trip. When your wife is alone, and does not show up as expected, you go look for her and make sure she’s ok.

The article does not specify how much time had elapsed between the time they left RR and she entered PH and collapsed. It could have been an hour or so. He was not aware she was missing. It states the MIL tried to call her multiple times at DS. When she got back they called again and this time someone picked up and told them to go to the hospital. It does not sound like they were just hanging out in the hotel as you originally wrote. They were from NYC so I am sure he did not expect that she would have difficulty navigating a shopping area and taking a resort bus back.