Oakley Debbs, 11, and his family were on vacation in Maine around Thanksgiving time. Despite having asthma and food allergies, the honor roll student from West Palm Beach, Florida, was a standout athlete. Oakley chose to consume a piece of cake from the prepared assortment of treats in his family’s Thanksgiving basket. The heartbreaking turn of events that followed led his family and friends to launch a campaign to help spread awareness and stop similar incidents from happening to others. .
Although he had asthma and nut allergies, Oakley enjoyed playing tennis, football, and soccer and was a marathon runner. In fighting these illnesses, he was dubbed a “brave and strong warrior” by his family.
The pound cake that had been left out on the kitchen table where they were staying in Maine on November 24 was decided to be eaten by Oakley. Oakley always had to read the labels before he consumed anything, according to his mother Merrill Debbs, and he didn’t notice any signs of nuts.
Robert Debbs, his father, said, “He thought it was just a piece of cake.”. But after eating it, he came over and said that it might have contained nuts. “After tasting some, his mother concurred that it had a nut flavor; it was later discovered to be walnut flavor. Robert said, “Merrill gave him [pills] for Benadryl, as we usually do.”. And when he returned, he reported feeling good. “A single hive on his lip was the only symptom he had at that point.
But soon after Oakley reported chest pains, he also began throwing up. His parents dialed 911, but he was already blue when the ambulance showed up ten minutes later. Oakley’s heart had stopped beating and his airwaves had closed.
I’m writing on Robert J.’s behalf. Debbs Merrill Olivia, the identical twin of Debbs and Oakley. I write this with great sadness. Published on November 26, 2016 by Tyler Debbs Squire.
Then, the family had to cope with such a tragic loss and comprehend why Oakley couldn’t be saved. Merrill expressed her belief that her “beautiful, amazing, talented, and adorable son” shouldn’t have died. The Red Sneaker Foundation was established by the family to help people recognize the symptoms of anaphylaxis, an immediate and potentially fatal allergic reaction involving multiple organs.
The family decided to use Oakley’s beloved red sneakers as a potent symbol to promote greater education and awareness among communities of individuals with food allergies.
Red Sneakers For Oakley published a post on December 1st, 2016.
Experts advise using epinephrine right away, even if there are only slight symptoms of an allergic reaction. Merrill proclaimed, “My kid was a rock star and a good, good kid. And I always knew in my heart that he would change someone’s life; I just didn’t know it would happen after he died. So the legacy of Oakley plays a significant role in what motivates me. Please spread the word about this incident in order to educate people about the perils posed by food allergies and the ways in which we can work to stop tragedies like this from occurring again.
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