How This 20-Year-Old Died From Kissing Her Boyfriend
Myriam Ducre-Lemay, 20, died in 2012 after kissing her boyfriend - he'd eaten a peanut butter sandwich and wasn't aware of her peanut allergy (or the severity of it) and she was not carrying her EpiPen with her at the time, CTV News reports. Her mother is just now publicizing the story to help others avoid the same situation.
According to CJAD, Ducre-Lemay and her boyfriend had been out at a party earlier that night, which is why she didn't have her medication or her Medic Alert bracelet on her. After the kiss, she had trouble breathing, tried using her asthma pump, and, when that didn't work, asked her boyfriend about peanuts - when he said he'd eaten them, she told him to call 911.
He attempted to give her CPR before the ambulance arrived. Emergency crews attempted to resuscitate her with epinephrine, but failed. En route to the hospital, Ducre-Lemay suffered cardiopulmonary arrest which led to cerebral anoxia (oxygen deprivation to the brain). She was taken off the respirator and died.
Head of Pediatric Allergy and Immunology at Montreal Children's Hospital Dr. Christine McCusker told CTV people between the ages 15-30 are most likely to suffer from severe allergic reactions because they're in the "risk age range." This is why people with allergies carry "EpiPen[s], even though you don't want to and even though it's not cool," McCuskey said. "People don't necessarily recognize it can go from that point where, 'I feel funny' to 'Uh oh' very fast."
According to FOX News, Ducre-Lemay had recently told people her allergies had decreased in severity, but McCusker said that is only true of every one-in-five allergy patients. Though many outlets report brushing your teeth helps eliminate the chance of an allergic reaction in this situation, the only thing that will ensure it won't happen is waiting a long time after you consume peanuts to kiss.
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