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. He had managed it well throughout his life.
But late on the first evening of his week-long trip booked with Love Holidays — his 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, 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.
‘I was shouting down the phone whilst crying, asking staff to give him is EpiPen, to call an ambulance.’
Idris had taken his EpiPen, Ms Bhatia said. But it is unclear why this did not prevent his death.
She added: ‘There was a 20 to 25 minute window from when he ate the dessert and when his heart stopped.’
‘Idris was always really vigilant with his allergy. He would always read the packaging of anything he was going to consume. He was really sensible.
‘We avoided it as best as we could. Over the years, he very occasionally accidentally ate peanuts and his symptoms were different every time.
‘But it always affected his breathing and he knew he needed his asthma pump.’
Shocking new data released in August revealed that the number of people with allergies in the UK has
What precautions did Idris take to avoid consuming peanuts while traveling?
## Interview with Ayeshah Bathia
**Interviewer:** Ayeshah, your beloved son, Idris, tragically passed away during a trip to Turkey in June. Can you tell us what happened?
**Ayeshah Bathia:** Idris was so excited for this trip. It was his first time traveling abroad without us. He was a responsible young man, always careful about his severe peanut allergy, which he’d had since he was a toddler.
**Interviewer:** How did the allergic reaction occur?
**Ayeshah Bathia:** He was at the hotel’s rooftop terrace, enjoying dessert platters. He made sure to ask the waiters several times, even using Google Translate, to ensure the cake was peanut-free. He was repeatedly assured it was safe. Tragically, that wasn’t the case.
**Interviewer:** What happened after Idris ate the cake?
**Ayeshah Bathia:** He became nauseous and breathless almost immediately. Thankfully, his friend acted quickly and called me through video chat. I watched helplessly as paramedics performed CPR on my son, desperately urging them to administer his EpiPen.
**Interviewer:** This must have been an incredibly painful experience.
**Ayeshah Bathia:** It was the most harrowing 25 minutes of my life. Despite their efforts, Idris’ heart stopped, and we lost him.
**Interviewer:** Your family is now taking legal action against Love Holidays. Can you tell us more about that?
**Ayeshah Bathia:** We believe Love Holidays and their suppliers failed to ensure Idris’ safety despite his clear needs. We need answers and accountability for this devastating loss. We want to prevent another family from experiencing this unthinkable tragedy. [[1](https://www.foxnews.com/health/teens-sudden-death-peanut-allergy-leads-dramatic-family-decision)]
**Interviewer:** You mentioned Idris was studying to become an electrician. How do you remember him?
**Ayeshah Bathia:** He was a kind, gentle soul, always wanting to learn and help others. His dream of becoming an electrician was just starting to take shape. He was robbed of a bright future, and we are heartbroken.
