Allergic reaction: US college student Hannah Glass dies after eating peanut brownie given by friend

Hannah Glass. Photo / Glass Family

A student in the United States has died after eating a brownie given to her by a friend.

19-year-old Hannah Glass, from Maranatha Baptist University in Wisconsin, reportedly suffered a fatal allergic reaction to the treat, which was baked using peanut flour to ensure it was gluten-free.

Her grieving father said that his daughter knew that something was wrong after only a few bites and took an antihistamine to attempt to control her symptoms but “after a few seconds of laying down, things changed dramatically“.

David Glass said because the brownie was made with peanut flour and not oily peanut butter, its deadly ingredient was masked.

Hannah Glass’ body reacted violently to the allergen and she vomited and broke out in hives but could still breathe easily, her family revealed in a detailed post on Facebook.

She called her parents and described her symptoms and they left their home to go to her aid.

She remained on the phone to them and they advised her to concentrate on her breathing and to use her EpiPen adrenaline injection if she was struggling to breathe.

Hannah Glass. Photo / Glass Family

Hannah took the antihistamine and when her parents arrived at her university dorm her condition had improved. David said he waited outside while his wife Janean went in, because it was a single-sex dorm.

Hannah went to lay down on her stomach in her bunk bed and her mother advised her it might be better to lie on her side.

She did so and then immediately curled into the foetal position and complained of extreme shortage of breath.

“In hindsight, it’s at that point the right lung collapsed,” David Glass said.

She then rapidly lost consciousness before the EpiPen was administered and she was carried down to her father as an ambulance was called.

Hannah’s heart stopped for four minutes in the ambulance before she was resuscitated. She was taken to a nearby hospital before being transferred to a larger hospital for further treatment.

During this transfer she suffered seizures. The damage was done.

“The majority of her brain was unmistakably, seriously, critically, and without the life-sustaining measures in place, terminally damaged,” her family said.

“At this point, there was no actual decision to be made, except that we decided to donate her body to help others have the chance at life she no longer had.

“And to prevent other parents or loved ones from having to endure the torture we had.”

Hannah's family with her before her organs were donated. Photo / Glass Family

A fundraiser to support her family was set up and has now reached over US$30,000 (NZ$50,000).

Hannah’s organs have so far saved four lives.

“She was an amazing, amazing girl, and I’m thankful to see how many lives she has touched and will continue to touch,” Janean Glass said.