Eight Years On: A Mother’s Plea After Allergy Tragedy
In 2017, 13-year-old Karanbir Cheema died after a classmate threw a piece of cheese at him at school in London. Karan, who had severe allergies including to dairy, went into cardiac arrest and died two weeks later in hospital.
His mother, Rina, still carries the pain — and a message: allergies are not a joke.
Karan’s only dose of adrenaline came from an expired EpiPen, which may have been less effective. A 2019 inquest revealed he showed signs of anaphylaxis for several minutes before treatment began. Experts stressed the critical importance of fast response in such cases.
The coroner called the incident “childish and thoughtless,” not malicious, but criticized the school for failing to educate students about allergy risks.
Rina now campaigns for allergy awareness, sharing heartbreaking images and stories of Karan to prevent future tragedies. “My son said, ‘Please help me or I’m going to die.’ That says it all,” she recalled.
Karan’s father added, “His death left a hole that will never be filled.”