It has been confirmed that the
royal will spend time with the parents of a teenager who died from an allergic
reaction to a baguette, as he hosts a global symposium on allergies.
Scientists from around the
world have traveled to Dumfries House in Ayrshire for the two-day symposium,
which has been organized by the Natasha Allergy Research Foundation.
The foundation was set up by
Tanya and Nadim Ednan-Laperouse, whose 15-year-old daughter Natasha died
following a severe allergic reaction to sesame in a sandwich during a flight to
France in 2016.
Tanya and Nadim’s daughter Natasha died following a severe allergic reaction |
Charles has said he was
“moved beyond words” by her death and the way her parents have
“selflessly dedicated themselves to preventing other families from suffering in
the same way”.
Natasha died on July 17, 2016,
aged 15 after eating a Pret a Manger artichoke, olive, and tapenade baguette
before boarding a flight at Heathrow with her father and best friend.
They received OBEs from Prince William after setting up the Natasha Allergy Research Foundation
A coroner concluded that she
would not have eaten the baguette if the sesame seeds – to which she was
severely allergic – had been included on the label.
The two-day global symposium
on September 6 and 7 will see Charles take part in a roundtable discussion with
the scientists and Natasha’s parents.
The idea of bringing the
world’s leading allergy and environment experts together was first raised by
Charles following the 2018 inquest into Natasha’s death which highlighted the
growing allergic epidemic, particularly among children and young people.
Charles said: “I was
moved beyond words by the tragic death of Natasha Ednan-Laperouse and the way
her parents have selflessly dedicated themselves to preventing other families
suffering in the same way. That is why my Prince’s Foundation is hosting
leading scientists and experts in the field to tackle the environmental causes
of allergic disease, so that no more lives are needlessly lost due to allergic
reactions.”