A COLLEGE student’s parents were forced to watch in horror as their son died in front of them mere days after graduating.
Timothy Myles Howard, 22, rushed into his parents’ room, pleading for help, but it was too late, his heartbroken mother explained.
On May 24, Timothy suffered a severe anaphylactic reaction, which led to the tragedy.
“He came in and woke us up, saying he could not breathe,” his father, Tim Howard, told NBC affiliate WJAR.
“And at that point, it unfolded very quickly over a matter of minutes.”
Howard stated that they used multiple EpiPens, but “the reaction was too far gone.”
Timothy consumed a snack contaminated with peanuts, according to his parents.
Patty Howard, the boy’s mother, shared a Facebook post announcing his death, along with several photos from his graduation.
“It is with heavy hearts we share the loss of our son Timmy to a severe anaphylactic reaction to peanuts,” according to the blog entry.
“We recently celebrated his college graduation, and he had his entire life ahead of him.
“Our hearts are broken and we now have joined a club no one wants to be a part of.”
Patty revealed that Timothy’s fraternity brothers started a fundraiser to raise food allergy awareness and advance anaphylaxis research.
At the time of writing, the fundraiser had met its $25,000 goal and had received more than $27,600 from over 620 donors.
“On behalf of Timmy’s Dad, Mom, and sister Julia, we want to thank the outpouring of love and support during this difficult period,” read an update from the fundraiser.
“Thank you very much for donating to the Food Allergy Research and Education organization. Let us raise awareness about food allergies and advance anaphylaxis research and treatment.”
Timothy was an organ donor, and the page also encouraged others to consider becoming one.
“Keep spreading kindness, love to others and keep dancing!”
Symptoms of anaphylaxis
- Skin reactions include hives, itching, and flushed or pale skin.
- Low blood pressure (hypotension).
- Constriction of the airway, wheezing, and difficulty breathing.
- Swollen tongue or throat.
- Weak and rapid pulse.
- Nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea.
- Dizziness or fainting.
- Psychological symptoms, such as a feeling of impending doom.
The page described Timothy as a “bright and compassionate” University of Rhode Island graduate and Phi Kappa Psi brother.
“Timmy was just getting started on what promised to be an incredible journey in life.” He was driven, kind, and deeply loved by his family, friends, and everyone who had the pleasure of knowing him,” the page stated.
“He never judged, never interrupted, and always made you feel like what you had to say was important.
“Timmy had a way of making everyone around him feel safe and seen.”
The parents did not name the snack that their son ate, telling WJAR-TV that they did not know how many times he would had it before because it was his first time.
“We just want to bring awareness to make sure everyone reads labels and really looks at the ingredients,” Patty told the news organization.
Timothy’s sister Julia, who also has food allergies, agreed with her mother: “For companies to realize that putting’may contain’ sometimes, knowing what is in your food, and the people that are eating it as consumers, knowing what is on the label, I think is really important.”
