Ballet Dancer Dies After Extreme Allergic Reaction to a Mislabeled Cookie

Baxendale lived with a severe peanut allergy, but tragically, the cookie she bought at a Stew Leonard’s grocery store had peanuts inside, though the label didn’t mention them as an ingredient or even as a possible contamination.

Her obituary explained that Órla was the “embodiment of enthusiasm, strength, and beauty” and “an exquisite ballet, contemporary, and Irish step dancer.” And her family and friends are absolutely devastated by her passing.

The attorney said in a statement, “Órla was very careful and hyper-vigilant about everything she ate.”

According to her lawyer, “After she began to have an anaphylactic reaction, an EpiPen was used, but due to the severity of her allergy, it was not effective.”

And that Órla would have undoubtedly checked the ingredients of a cookie, which often have nuts or are marked as having possible contamination. 

She bought the cookie at a Stew Leonard’s grocery store in Connecticut, which claimed they were never told by Cookies United that the treats contained any peanuts.

Cookies United wants to make it clear that  “This product is sold under the Stew Leonard’s brand and repackaged at their facilities. The incorrect label was created by, and applied to, their product by Stew Leonard’s.”

However, until this case goes to court and a judge rules on which company is at fault, whatever both organizations are claiming should be considered hearsay. 

In his video, Leonard said, “I have four daughters, one of them is in their 20s. I can imagine how that family feels right now, and we’re all just very, very sad about this whole thing.”

The director of public relations, Meghan Bell, said, “The cookies contain undeclared peanuts and eggs. People with an allergy or severe sensitivity to peanuts or eggs run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume these products. One death has been reported that may be associated with the mislabeled product.”

And that he and his team, as well as officials in similar offices of other states, are working together to “prevent a similar tragedy from occurring in the future.”

But many hope that her story will ignite change within the food industry and among government officials to not just promise change, but actually make it and keep consumers safe around the world.