It was meant to be an ordinary Friday night dinner. Instead, it ended in heartbreak.
James Atkinson, a 23-year-old graduate from Leeds, had just ordered a chicken tikka masala pizza from a Newcastle restaurant on Deliveroo. Minutes after taking a bite, he began gasping for air. His flatmate called an ambulance as James struggled to breathe — aware something was terribly wrong. “I’m going to die,” he told paramedics before losing consciousness.
James had lived carefully with a severe peanut allergy for over a decade. He’d even searched online to check the ingredients before ordering. But traces of peanuts were later found in the food he’d eaten. Despite desperate efforts from medics, he passed away within an hour of that first bite.
His devastated parents described him as “bright, funny, and full of life.” “James had a gift for making others happy,” they said. “He was first on the dance floor and last to leave. We were blessed to have him for 23 years — he is irreplaceable.”
His story is a heartbreaking reminder that one small mistake — one hidden ingredient — can take away a lifetime of dreams. And for every parent who’s loved and lost, it’s a fear that never truly fades.
