Mother gives stark warning about food allergies after daughter's throat almost swelled shut

A mother has issued a grave warning about food allergies after her 12-year-old had a severe allergic reaction to cinnamon bread that was cross-contaminated with nuts, causing her throat to almost swell shut.

Angie Keiser, from Atlanta, Georgia, was asleep when her daughter Sydney Keiser made herself a Christmas snack on December 16. The tween felt her tongue swelling and her throat starting to close when she rushed into her mom's room. 

'She threw open the door, turned on the light, and said, "I need you to give me my epi!"' Angie told Today of having to administer Sydney's epinephrine auto-injector for the first time. 

Georgia mother Angie Keiser detailed how her 12-year-old daughter Sydney Keiser had a severe allergic reaction after she ate cinnamon bread that was cross-contaminated with nuts 

The tween felt her tongue swelling and her throat starting to close when she rushed into her mom's room and asked for her epinephrine auto-injector. Her parents then took her to the hospital, where she was closely monitored as the epinephrine wore off

The medical device delivers a dose of epinephrine, which is used to treat severe allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis. The mom always thought she would be nervous to inject the drug into her daughter's thigh, but she sprung into action.

'When you see your child in distress, you just know,' she said, noting that she didn't waste time asking questions or checking the bread label. 'It was all very quick.'

Angie and her husband then took their daughter to the emergency room, where she was given Benadryl and a dose of steroids. She was closely monitored to make sure she wasn't having another reaction as the epinephrine wore off. 

Sydney was two years old when she was diagnosed with an allergy to peanuts and tree nuts after having a reaction to peanut butter. 

Sydney was diagnosed with an allergy to peanuts and tree nuts when she was two years old, but neither of the allergens was listed on the cinnamon bread's ingredients label

Angie told Today it was a cross-contamination issue, noting that the label said the bread was baked in a facility where 'tree nuts [and] eggs may be used'

The family was careful about what she ate and managed to avoid her allergens for more than a decade. This was the first time she ever needed her epinephrine auto-injector, which her mother had coincidentally refilled eight days before the incident, months after it had expired. 

The cinnamon bread was from a brand that Sydney trusted, and the label didn't list any ingredients that would cause an allergic reaction.  

'This was a cross-contamination issue. The label says that it’s made in a bakery where tree nuts [and] eggs may be used,' Angie explained. 'She eats the bagels from this brand all the time, and it has the same warning, so we had picked up the bread that day and she decided to have that as a snack that night.'

The mom shared their story on Instagram on December 17 to raise awareness for food allergies and the importance of always having an epinephrine auto-injector on hand. 

The mom shared their story on Instagram on December 17 to raise awareness for food allergies and the importance of always having an epinephrine auto-injector

Angie noted that acted quickly and didn't hesitate to administer Sydney's epinephrine auto-injector, saying its better to 'choose safe over sorry' 

'I've read too many stories about tragedies that occurred when epi wasn't given, or wasn't given soon enough,' she wrote. 'I didn't question her when she said she needed the epi. I didn't go looking for the bread to check the label. I didn't offer her Benadryl first. She knew what she needed because she was listening to her body. And she told us. 

'Thankful for all the brave families who have shared their stories over the years,' she continued. 'Because of those stories, we took swift action and our girl is home resting today. 

'P.S. According to every allergist we've ever worked with, there is no harm in giving a single dose of epi if it turns out an allergic reaction is not occurring. Choose safe over sorry!' she concluded. 

The candid post, which included a picture of her daughter in the hospital, has received more than 18,000 likes and 560 comments. 

'Based on all the stories I’ve read from other families who have been through similar situations where kids did not survive, it’s because they didn't get that epinephrine at all, or fast enough,' she told Today. 'My only hope in sharing all the details is to help someone feel more prepared when it happens for them.'