How A Young Woman Died From A Late-Night Kiss

A mother is speaking out on a very important subject that took her young daughter from her in 2012. Myriam Ducre-Lemay, who had a severe allergy to peanuts, lost her life after kissing her boyfriend. As Cosmopolitan reports, her boyfriend had just eaten a peanut butter sandwich and had not been made aware of Myriam’s allergy or the severe case she had. Additionally, the 20-year-old was not carrying her EpiPen with her, which could have saved her life.

Mom of 20-year-old Myriam Ducre-Lemay who died after kiss from boyfriend warns of severe allergies https://t.co/RSioTGOPJc

— Queen P (@4Prina) June 12, 2016

The young girl’s mother is now just coming forward to make the story public in order to help others avoid the same tragedy.

The publication outlines the events of the tragedy that led to the young woman’s untimely death.

“According to CJAD, Ducre-Lemay and her boyfriend had been out at a party earlier that night, which is why she didn’t have her medication or her Medic Alert bracelet on her. After the kiss, she had trouble breathing, tried using her asthma pump, and, when that didn’t work, asked her boyfriend about peanuts – when he said he’d eaten them, she told him to call 911.”

The young man attempted to save Myriam’s life by giving her CPR before the ambulance arrived. The paramedics then attempted to administer epinephrine, but the drug had no effect as the girl was too far gone. While on the way to the hospital, Ducre-Lemay suffered cardiac arrest and died.

Many teens and young people are embarrassed to carry their EpiPens around because it is seen as “uncool,” the Head of Pediatric Allergy and Immunology at Montreal Children’s Hospital, Christine McCusker, shared. The publication relays the details of her words.

“[P]eople between the ages 15-30 are most likely to suffer from severe allergic reactions because they’re in the ‘risk age range.’ This is why people with allergies carry ‘EpiPen[s], even though you don’t want to and even though it’s not cool,’ McCuskey said. ‘People don’t necessarily recognize it can go from that point where, I feel funny to Uh oh very fast.’ That’s the range when kids are going out more, they’re spending less time under the watchful eye of their parents, they’re taking a few more risks and they’re not as likely to be carrying their EpiPens.'”

After interviewing people who knew Myriam, the young woman had shared that her allergy risk had lessened and that it wasn’t as severe of an allergy as it had been. This would account for her not carrying her EpiPen.

However, McCusker shares that this likely wasn’t the case. She shares that this only happens in one in every five patients, and although a brushing of teeth following consuming peanuts can lessen the chance of a reaction, the only thing that can ensure a reaction won’t occur in the case of kissing is to wait a long time after consuming peanuts to kiss.

The health care professional then added that traces of peanut can stay in saliva for up to four hours so this is a good timeline to follow in such a situation.

Peanut allergy alert: Mom shares tragedy of daughter, Myriam Ducre-Lemay, who kissed boyfriend and diedhttps://t.co/Eyoe0tFRnf

— Globalnews.ca (@globalnews) June 12, 2016

CTV News notes additional advice from McCusker on the subject to assist others in ensuring such a terrible circumstance does not happen to others.

“The most important part of managing your allergies is that you have to inform people. You have to say, ‘Listen guys, I have food allergies, I have my EpiPen. If there’s a problem, help me.'”

These are wise words to anyone who may suffer from such severe allergies. Additionally, the need to appear cool and thinking that refraining from carrying the tool that can save a life in such a situation is the way to go must be curbed by young people. No more cases like Myriam’s should make headlines if care is simply taken to avoid such repercussions.

[Photo by Kristian Dowling/Getty Images]