This is one of my nightmares: My daughter, Sistie, who has always been so conscious of her nut allergy, will accidentally eat the wrong thing and die.

I read with a heavy heart about 13-year old Natalie Giorgi, who died last week after biting into (and spitting out) a Rice Krispies treat on the final night of family camp in California.

Natalie Giorgi

Natalie and her parents knew her peanut allergy could kill her. They were always extremely cautious about what she ate. They all read labels and asked the right questions in restaurants.

But last Friday, after a camp gathering, she went to the lodge for a treat. The lights were dim and three varieties of Rice Krispies treats, prepared by the camp cook, were on the table.

Natalie bit into a treat and immediately spit it out. Her father gave her a dose of Benadryl to lessen any allergic reaction. She seemed okay, she had had “scares” before. But 20-minutes later, she couldn’t breathe.

Her dad gave her THREE EpiPen injections. Usually ONE EpiPen helps during a severe allergic reaction. But, Natalie couldn’t be saved. She died a few hours later.

About 3-million American children under the age of 18 have food allergies of some kind. Most are allergic to eggs, milk, peanuts, tree nuts, soy, wheat, shellfish and fish. Egg allergies are the most common. And the number of people afflicted is increasing.

Real food allergies are serious and should be taken seriously. If your child has a food allergy, or has a friend with a food allergy, always be aware of what they are eating.

A previous low-key allergic reaction IS NOT an indication of what the next reaction will be like. The truth is you don’t know what the next reaction could be like… it might be deadly.