Mum of girl killed by ‘unlabelled’ Pret A Manger sandwich reveals lengths to which family had gone since she was a baby to avoid such a tragedy
Natasha Ednan-Laperouse's mother Tanya said the family had to remain vigilant at all times
THE heartbroken dad of a 15-year-old girl who died of an allergic reaction after eating a Pret a Manger sandwich has today revealed his daughter's dying moments.
Holding back tears, Nadim Ednan-Laperouse said 15-year-old Natasha begged "I can't breathe, daddy, help me" as he desperately tried to save her life.
The dad this morning recounted how Natasha - who wanted to be a pilot when she grew up - had bought the £3.45 artichoke, olive and tapenade baguette from Pret as they passed through Heathrow on their way to a British Airways flight.
But soon after getting on the flight to Nice, Natasha suffered a fatal allergic reaction to sesame seeds not included on the sandwich's list of ingredients.
Nadim quickly administered two EpiPens, but said nothing happened.
Speaking on Good Morning Britain, Nadim said: "I was utterly stunned as my daughter continued to say 'daddy I can't breathe, help me, help me'.
"As a father, it's nothing worse and for a family, there's nothing worse trying to help your child live when she's dying in front of you. It's really really bad - terrible."
He said Natasha had read over the sandwich's ingredients - her favourite - showing that she could eat it.
It comes after mum Tanya recalled to the inquest her final words to her daughter as she lay dying on the British Airways flight.
Nadim called Tanya, with the 51-year-old mum recounting: "He told me, “You’ve got to say goodbye now.’
“Don’t lose time. She’s going to die any minute. Say something. She might hear it. The phone is by her ear.’
“I said, ‘Tashi I love you so much, darling. I’ll be with you soon. I’ll be with you.”
“‘When you’ve got children, you don’t want them to be without you, do you? They haven’t flown the nest.
The family of Natasha had previously revealed the lengths they went to protect her from potentially deadly food.
As she grew up she became so allergic to dairy products that she was even made ill by milk particles in the air.
Parents were warned to air their homes before Natasha went there for play dates and parties.
The family carried the antihistamine piriton wherever they went.
When they ate out, they took their own food for Natasha and thoroughly wiped down tables.
Tanya said the family went to extraordinary lengths to protect Natasha
They scoured menus for any potentially deadly ingredients and even checked bottles of oil in kitchens for traces of peanuts.
When Natasha was two they family found out she was allergic to sesame seeds when she picked up a breadstick covered in them at Tanya's mother's house.
Their vigilance meant that Natasha did not have an anaphylactic shock after the age of six, which was the only time Tanya has had to administer an Epi-pen to her daughter.
“Tashi developed a sense for what she could and couldn't have and was cautious with food,” Mrs Ednan-Laperouse
Tanya said she crawled up next to her daughter in hospital after the allergic reaction, saying: "What I felt then, what gave me hope, was that this little baby managed to get through it on her own,” she
“She wasn't meant to die. She's here for a reason. She's a fighter, she got through it. I was in awe of this tiny baby I was just getting to know."
At last week’s inquest coroner Sean Cummings slammed Pret for failing to alert customers to potentially fatal allergens.
Pret was warned nine times about the dangers of sesame in its artisan baguettes in the year before Natasha died.
British Airways had also come under fire during the inquest after it was revealed crews did not tell a junior doctor trying to save Natasha's life that there was a defibrillator on board.
Mum Tanya said: "We don't know if that would have saved her life or not. There's a chance it wouldn't have.
"It wasn't offered. The doctor wasn't even told there was one."
Coroner Dr Sean Cummings said during the inquest that he "struggled" to understand why BA crew had not alerted the family to the defibrillator.
And blasting Pret, he added the information stickers were "inadequate in terms of visibility" and were "difficult to see".
He told the inquest: "Overall I am left with the impression that Pret had not addressed the fact that monitoring food allergy in a business selling more than 200million items a year was something to be taken very seriously indeed."
Stores' loophole shame
SANDWICH giants are continuing to exploit a legal loophole allowing them to dodge displaying allergens on food packets, a Sun on Sunday investigation found.
Freshly prepared items at London branches of Greggs, EAT and fast food chains Wasabi and itsu had no allergy warnings on them.
Even Pret a Manger is still using the loophole, with no warnings on packets. The law says that when food is prepared onsite, ingredient labelling is not necessary.
It is designed to protect small, independent stores.
At the busy shops we investigated – EAT, Pret, Wasabi and itsu at Canary Wharf Shopping Mall in East London – allergy information signs were in cabinets, urging customers to ask.
But at Greggs in Chrisp Street Market no signs were visible — despite assurances from chiefs that allergy signs were there.
Every shop we visited failed to feature any information on packaging for food made in-house.
Toy firm director Tanya, from Fulham, West London, said of the firm: “They screwed up, yes. Now they have the opportunity to do something good. They could lobby for a change to our labelling laws.
“We know Natasha didn’t die on our watch. She died on Pret’s watch, all thanks to the absence of two little words.
“If the label had listed ‘sesame seeds’ Natasha wouldn’t have touched it and she’d still be alive.
“Nadim trusted Natasha knew what to look for.”
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After the inquest, Clive Schlee, Chief Executive of Pret A Manger said in a statement: "We are deeply sorry for Natasha’s death. We cannot begin to comprehend the pain her family have gone through and the grief they continue to feel.
"We have heard everything the Coroner and Natasha’s family have said this week.
"And we will learn from this. All of us at Pret want to see meaningful change come from this tragedy. We will make sure that it does."
The Sun on Sunday Says: Put up or shut up, Pret
IT is disgraceful that major food stores are exploiting a legal loophole to avoid showing ingredients on packaging.
Teenager Natasha Ednan-Laperouse’s death should serve as a warning of how dangerous this practice is.
The law states that when food is prepared onsite, ingredients labelling is not necessary. It is designed to protect small, independent stores. But our investigation today reveals large chains have not learnt from this avoidable tragedy.
Pret a Manger was warned nine times about the dangers of sesame seed in its artisan baguettes and yet it continues to sell items without allergy warnings.
Now Natasha’s mother Tanya has challenged the chain to lobby for a change in our labelling laws.
And, hopefully, stop other parents having to suffer such a terrible loss.
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