Anguished parents reveal how son died after eating nuts on holiday
The heartbroken family of a tragic teenager with a life-threatening allergy have told of how he was killed by a peanut-laced dessert that waiting staff had assured him was safe.
Idris Qayyum, from west London, suffered a suspected fatal anaphylactic reaction to the cake he ate at a hotel restaurant while in Antalya, Turkey, in June.
The 19-year-old had a severe peanut allergy, which had been diagnosed as a toddler and he had managed it well throughout his life.
But late on the first evening of his week-long trip booked with Love Holidays — the first without his family — he and his friend headed to their hotel's rooftop terrace where dessert platters were being served to guests.
Idris, who was studying to become an electrician, told waiters at the Marti Myra Hotel he had a severe peanut allergy in English and asked whether the desserts contained the allergen three times, his family say.
Even after repeating his request on Google Translate, he was assured they were safe to eat. But moments after consuming the cake, Idris began to feel nauseous and breathless and they both returned to their hotel room.
Idris' friend urgently video called his mother, Ayeshah Bathia, who desperately shouted at emergency crews to administer the EpiPen as she watched them perform CPR on her son.
Less than 25 minutes later, however, his heart had stopped working and despite attempts to save him, he was declared dead.
Now, his family have launched legal action against Love Holidays, claiming the package tour operator and its suppliers failed to provide correct information regarding food allergens and misled Idris.
They also argued the company did not provide adequate training to staff on allergies and food safety.
Recalling her heartbreaking ordeal, Ms Bhatia told MailOnline: 'Our lives have been shattered forever. To lose our son aged 19 is the worst tragedy any family could face.
'But to lose him in circumstances where we were not able to be there to help him is very hard to bear.
'And to lose him knowing that he had made every effort to protect himself from a harm to which he knew he was vulnerable is even worse.'
On the evening of the tragedy, she received a video call from his friend at around 10:20pm in the UK. Staff had been called to his room.
'As soon as the camera faced to turn him I could see him on the floor,' she said.
'I could see three staff members around him giving CPR and I knew it was really bad. I was extremely distressed, all my daughter and I could do was watch this over a video call.