2025-05-26T09:47:36Z

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A heartbroken mother has come forward with an urgent plea to raise awareness about the dangers of severe food allergies after her 20-year-old daughter tragically passed away from an anaphylactic reaction. Jess North, who suffered from a severe peanut allergy, died on May 9, 2021, after consuming just a few mouthfuls of a frozen ready meal that contained nuts.

Maxine North, Jess’s mother from Aldingbourne, West Sussex, recounted the harrowing moments leading up to the tragedy. On that fateful day, she was preparing a traditional Sunday roast when Jess expressed a desire for something different. She chose a sweet potato dish she had eaten before, mistakenly assuming it was safe despite the presence of nuts. Maxine later told The Argus that Jess consumed only “a couple of mouthfuls” before pushing her plate aside. Moments later, Jess kissed her parents goodbye and left to meet a friend.

However, within just ten minutes, Maxine received a frantic phone call from Jess. The fear in her daughter’s voice was unmistakable. “I knew that she was having an allergic reaction,” Maxine recounted, describing how Jess struggled to breathe. As Jess was driving on the A27 near Arundel, Maxine urged her to pull over and use her EpiPen, though Jess had never had to administer it herself before; she had been trained to do so.

While Jess attempted to follow her mother’s instructions, a passerby noticed her distress and assumed she was experiencing an asthma attack. This good Samaritan provided her with an inhaler, but they misinterpreted the situation. Jess was signaling for her EpiPen, and in the confusion, the passerby incorrectly administered the EpiPen into her arm instead of her thigh, which is the proper location for delivery.

Emergency medical services arrived shortly after and transported Jess to St. Richards Hospital in Chichester. Despite being placed on life support, her condition did not improve over the next three days. An MRI scan ultimately revealed that there was no brain activity, leading Maxine to confront the unbearable reality of losing her daughter. “I can’t remember much from that point,” Maxine shared, “all I knew was my beautiful baby had gone and our life had changed forever.”

Following her daughter’s death, Maxine has been fervently advocating for greater awareness and education regarding severe food allergies. In the aftermath of this tragedy, the North family discovered that Jess had been prescribed a junior EpiPen rather than an adult-sized one, which could potentially have contributed to the tragedy. Maxine hopes to improve awareness of such significant details that can often be overlooked.

Her campaign has already made strides; she announced that her local GP practice is now sending reminder alerts to patients with severe allergies about the importance of checking their EpiPen prescriptions. Maxine has also been actively fundraising for The Natasha Allergy Foundation (NARFS), named in memory of Natasha Ednan-Laperouse, a young girl who lost her life in 2016 due to a severe allergic reaction from a sandwich that did not clearly label its ingredients.

Maxine is set to undertake a charity abseil down Peacehaven Cliffs in July, with all donations aimed at providing life-saving anaphylaxis treatment in schools and public places. A link to her GoFundMe page is available for those wishing to support this important cause.

This heartfelt plea comes in the wake of other recent tragic incidents related to food allergies. In a similar heartbreaking case, George Cadman-Ithell, a 25-year-old, sent a text to his mother stating he enjoyed a snack, but moments later, he realized it contained walnuts, which he was allergic to. Despite swift action from his family, he ultimately succumbed to a cardiac arrest caused by the reaction and remains in a vegetative state.

The tragic story of 12-year-old Mia Shay St Hilaire, who died after consuming a contaminated milkshake, further highlights the critical need for awareness and stringent measures in food safety. Investigations revealed that the café where Mia purchased the milkshake had failed to clean the blender properly, leading to her untimely death.

In response to similar tragedies, legislation known as Natasha’s Law has been introduced, requiring all pre-packaged foods to clearly list their ingredients. This law aims to prevent future deaths by ensuring that individuals with allergies have the information they need to make safe food choices.

Maxine North’s tireless advocacy serves as a poignant reminder of the urgent need for improved food labeling practices and public awareness surrounding food allergies. Her commitment to preventing similar tragedies is inspiring and underscores the importance of community support and education on this critical issue.