News Nearby: Funeral Services Set For Teen Who Died After Eating A Cookie

As the family prepares for funeral services for the 15-year-old Lawrenceville boy who died from anaphylactic shock last week, families around the world who live with similar food allergies offer their condolences.

“My food allergy child is 9 and he knows to never take anything from anyone for just this reason,” Susan Danneman Deering wrote on Loganville-Grayson Patch. “My heart breaks for this family.”

According to 11Alive News, Jharell Dillard’s funeral is scheduled for 3 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 28, at the family’s church home, Stone Mountain Seventh Day Adventist, 1350 Silver Hill Road, Stone Mountain. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Saturday at Gregory B. Levett & Sons Funeral Home, 914 Scenic Highway, Lawrenceville.

, allegedly from the car of his aunt while she was shopping in the Loganville Walmart on Aug 16. Despite taking an over the counter drug and being rushed to before being lifeflighted to Egleston Children’s Hospital, he died the following day.

The family reportedly knew of the teen’s food allergy and history of asthma and took steps to ensure that he avoided foods containing peanuts or peanut additives, but it only took one instance to prove fatal. According to Gina Clowes, a food allergy advocate from Pennsylvania, of the 15 million Americans, 3 million of them children, afflicted with food allergies, teens are the most likely to suffer a fatal reaction.

“I'm an advocate for children with food allergies and was so sad to read your article on Jharell Dillard,” Clowes said. “I have an allergic son and am very passionate about this issue.”

Clowes, who can be contacted at AllergyMoms.com, gave the following statistics from FAAN: the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Nework

• Teens are the highest risk group for fatal allergic reactions.
• The latest study shows 8 percent of children with at least one food allergy.
• There is no cure (some promising treatments in the works but not available)
• Every 15 minutes a child in the US is rushed to the emergency room with an allergic reaction to food.
• Peanuts and tree nuts are responsible for 90 percent of fatal and near fatal allergic reactions.
• Desserts, candy and baked goods are the highest risk food group for allergic reactions (high risk of allergens and cross contact)

These facts also support the story of another reader who posted on Loganville-Grayson Patch.

“Another tragic story as my 18-year-old son BJ who lost his life from anaphylactic shock from unknowingly eating a mousse dessert that contained traces of peanuts on July 1, 2008,” Brian Hom wrote. “He had an epi-pen at age 2 but doctors never re-newed for 16 years as Benadryl seemed to relieve all allergic symptoms. But lesson learned was even though you might have mild allergic reactions to food it does not preclude that you may have an anaphylactic show on your next incident.”

Clowes shared a public service announcement Dr. Oz of ABC’s Dr. Oz Show did for FAAN warning of the dangers of not taking these types of food allergies seriously. There is also a walk in Atlanta Oct. 1 by FAAN to raise money for the organization.

This story has been corrected to reflect that it is almost 15 million Americans who suffer from food allergies, 3 million of them children.