Allergy sufferer killed by pizza asked paramedics ‘am I going to die?’
James Atkinson, 23, died after just a few bites of chicken tikka pizza despite having carefully Googled potential ingredients.
A programmer with a peanut allergy killed by a few bites of pizza spent his final conscious moments in terror, an inquest has heard.
James Atkinson, 23, and his flatmate ordered the ‘chicken tikka masala’ pizza with chips and some other Indian dishes via Deliveroo from a restaurant in Newcastle in July 2020.
James was known to be ‘usually very good’ at monitoring his allergies and had looked up likely ingredients in the food online, the inquest heard.
Many household recipes for chicken tikka or chicken tikka masala do not contain peanuts.
But James, a recent Newcastle University graduate originally from Leeds, realised something was wrong when he started to feel unwell after eating less than a slice of the pizza.
He called an ambulance while his flatmate searched in vain for an EpiPen.
Paramedic Stephen Gillespie, who was urgently diverted to James’ home in an ambulance with two colleagues, said they found the 23-year-old ‘in the tripod position’ in his bathroom and was breathing extremely fast.
Mr Gillespie told the inquest: ‘James was scared throughout.’
According to the paramedic, James asked him: ‘Am I going to die?’.
By the time the 23-year-old was taken downstairs, he was ‘profoundly unconscious’ in a severe coma, Home Office pathologist Dr Jennifer Bolton told the inquest.
He was rushed to hospital but could not be saved, and was pronounced dead 41 minutes after arriving.
Analysis of his stomach contents found substances which could be nuts, while peanuts were detected in the uneaten takeaway food and a ‘nut mix’ at the restaurant, Dadyal.
Dr Bolton said James’ odds of survival would have ‘increased’ but not been ‘guaranteed’ if an EpiPen had been found in time.
James’ dad, Stuart, said his son ‘had his whole life ahead of him full of future plans and dreams that will not be realised or witnessed by his family’.
Appearing before the inquest with James’ mum Jill, he said: ‘James had a gift of making others happy, checking in on friends and offering support when needed.
‘To be in his company with his amazing sense of humour and infectious laugh was a privilege.
‘First on the dance floor and last to leave, James lived life to its fullest but also had a sensitive and thoughtful side.
‘His whole family meant the world to him. He was loving, kind and caring.’
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