A 13-year-old boy from London tragically died after suffering a severe allergic reaction following an incident involving a piece of cheese thrown by a classmate at school.
Karanbir Cheema, who had life-threatening dairy allergies, collapsed after the incident on June 28, 2017, and was rushed to hospital in critical condition. Despite efforts by doctors, he died several days later at Great Ormond Street Hospital.
School incident turned fatal
According to evidence presented during an inquest, another student threw a piece of cheese that struck Karanbir on the neck during what was described as horseplay.
The classmate later said he had been “playing around” and did not understand how dangerous the situation could become.
Karanbir carried an EpiPen due to his severe allergies, but reports later revealed the device was nearly a year out of date. Medical experts told the inquest he received only one dose of adrenaline before his condition rapidly worsened and he later suffered cardiac arrest.
Family recalls heartbreaking final moments
Karanbir’s parents later spoke publicly about the devastating decision to remove their son from life support.
“We didn’t want to switch it off, it wasn’t fair on his little body to go through this,” his mother Rina Cheema said during an interview with ITV’s This Morning.
She added that her son “smiled when the machine was turned off” before the family said their final goodbyes.
The tragedy shocked both the local community and allergy awareness advocates across the UK.
Medical experts called case extremely unusual
During the 2019 inquest, pediatric allergy consultant Dr. Adam Fox described the circumstances surrounding Karanbir’s death as highly unusual.
“If it was skin contact alone that caused, in this case, fatal anaphylaxis, I believe that to be unprecedented,” Dr. Fox said, according to Sky News.
However, medical experts clarified that it could not be conclusively proven the reaction came only from skin contact. Specialists said it was also possible that traces of cheese touched Karanbir’s lips or mouth, or that airborne particles were inhaled.
The inquest ultimately concluded that Karanbir died from a severe allergic reaction caused by exposure to cheese, though the exact route of exposure could not be fully determined.
School criticized during inquest
Coroner Mary Hassell described the actions of the boy who threw the cheese as “childish and thoughtless,” but said there was no intent to cause serious harm.
The inquest also criticized the school’s healthcare procedures and highlighted what the coroner called a “missed opportunity” to improve awareness around severe allergies among students and staff.
Karanbir’s death later sparked wider discussions about allergy safety in schools, including the importance of emergency medication, staff training, and greater awareness of life-threatening food allergies among children.
