Amy May Shead was a producer on This Morning before suffering an anaphylactic reaction. Photo / Supplied
Amy May Shead was a producer on This Morning before suffering an anaphylactic reaction. Photo / Supplied
Five young friends, hair whipping in the wind, excitedly board a plane for a girls' weekend in Budapest.
Less than two days later, Amy May Shead, 26, would be in an induced coma with brain damage after a single bite of a meal triggered a heart attack brought on anaphylacticshock.
Now, the family of the former television producer is calling for nuts to be banned on flights to raise awareness of the seriously of nut allergies as their daughter struggles to recover from her life-changing reaction.
Speaking on UK breakfast television show, This Morning, where Amy used to work, parents Sue and Roger Shead told of their heartbreak at seeing their daughter's life changed after just one mouthful of a contaminated meal of chicken and rice at a Budapest restaurant in 2014.
Mum Sue Shead said her daughter's shock set in immediately after taking a bite of the food she had ordered - despite confirming with the chef she was allergic to nuts.
"Immediately she felt her throat tightening and went into anaphylactic shock," Sue Shead said about her cautious daughter, who carried an allergy card in multiple languages.
Despite being equipped with two EpiPens, Amy reacted so severely her heart stopped beating and she was pronounced dead for six minutes.
The family flew to Budapest and were warned upon entering the hospital to brace for the severity of the news, news.com.au reported.
"We didn't know what to expect," she said. "They didn't actually think she would survive the week. They had her at a 30 per cent chance of actually getting through that week.
She suffered anaphylactic shock after a single bite of chicken. Photo / Facebook
Amy spent three weeks in intensive care and was sedated to maximum levels in an attempt to reduce the swelling in her brain. She can now understand what is being said around her but is not able to communicate, having suffered severe brain damage because of a lack of oxygen.
Her family have been privately financing her medical bills because the lifelong condition meant she was unable to get medical insurance. They were also unable to sue the restaurant given there is no compulsory public liability insurance in Hungary, and are now appealing to the public to help fund the cost of her treatment.
Viewers shared their heartbreak at the story on social media, with many saying they did not realise how serious the problem could be.
@this morning so touched by the story of Amy May today, heartbreaking. A beautiful family raising awareness #anaphalxis. Best wishes Amy
The Amy May Trust is now working to raise awareness of nut allergies and have them banned from flights, where recycled air can put allergy sufferers at risk.
