Tragic Loss In BC

News broke last night of the tragic loss of a 13-year old girl in British Columbia due to food-related anaphylaxis. What I find so sad about this is that the young girl, Carley Kohnen, was said to always have her EpiPen as she had allergies to several foods including peanut and dairy products. Unfortunately this anaphylactic reaction happened when she was out with friends and without her EpiPen.

The timing of this unfortunate loss is eerie given the news and events of the past week including FAAN announcing increased plans to generate awareness in teens and closer to home the British Columbia equivalent of Sabrina's Law being tabled as a bill in the legislature.

As is the case with all parents in our community, Carley's father noted that he had been living with the fear of this possibility 24/7 since the day they discovered her allergy. When I read this story I followed the advice of Carley's mother: "Hug your child today, and tell them you love them."

Our thoughts are with the Kohnens today.