The family of JetBlue pilot Brian Waitzel spent months searching for answers after the healthy 47-year-old died only hours after eating a burger at a backyard barbecue. For a long time, no one knew what caused his sudden collapse. Now, doctors have confirmed the terrifying truth — a single tick bite triggered a rare allergy that made red meat deadly for him.
Brian ate a hamburger around 3 p.m. at a friend’s home in New Jersey. He felt completely normal afterward. He even mowed the lawn and relaxed at home. But just after 7 p.m., everything changed. He became violently sick within minutes. His teenage son found him collapsed in the bathroom and started CPR. Paramedics tried to save him for two hours, but Brian was pronounced dead at 10:22 p.m.
An autopsy offered no clear answers, leaving the family heartbroken and confused. But Brian’s wife, Pieper, noticed a frightening pattern. Every severe episode he’d had that year happened after he ate red meat. With help from doctors, the truth became clear: Brian had alpha-gal syndrome, a rare allergy caused by a bite from the Lone Star tick.
Two weeks earlier, Brian had eaten steak on a camping trip and woke up with extreme stomach pain, vomiting, and diarrhea. He later assumed it was food poisoning. In reality, it was a warning sign.
Brian is now the first confirmed death linked to this condition. Researchers warn that many people may have the allergy without knowing it, especially as tick bites become more common. His family hopes sharing his story will help others spot the danger before it turns deadly.
