22-Year-Old Dies from Peanut Allergy Days After Graduation: 'Had His Whole Life Ahead of Him'
Timothy "Timmy" Howard suffered a severe anaphylactic reaction, his family confirmed, sharing an emotional tribute
"We just celebrated his college graduation and he had his whole life ahead of him," Timmy's mom, Patty Howard, wrote on FacebookA 22-year-old's family has shared a heartbreaking tribute after he died from a peanut allergy just days after his graduation.
Timothy "Timmy" Howard died on May 24 after suffering a severe anaphylactic reaction, just days after he graduated from the University of Rhode Island with a degree in communication studies, per NBC-affiliated station WJAR.
Timmy's mom, Patty Howard, told the outlet, 'A positive, upbeat, kind, quiet soul. He was on the cusp of living his life.'
Patty added of her son in a Facebook post on May 25, "We just celebrated his college graduation and he had his whole life ahead of him. Our hearts are broken and we now have joined a club no one wants to be apart of."
"Please hug your children a little tighter today, don't sweat the small stuff and spread kindness to this world," she wrote, alongside multiple photos.
Timmy's family revealed he had eaten a late-night snack at home that had been contaminated, per WJAR.
His father, Tim Howard, said, 'He came in and woke us up and said that he couldn't breathe. At that point, it unfolded very quickly,' the outlet reported.
The family administered Timmy's EpiPen and called 911, but it was too late, the station stated.
In a Facebook post, Patty confirmed Timmy's college frat brothers had "started a in loving memory fundraiser page to spread education, food allergy awareness and advancing anaphylaxis research and treatment options," sharing a link to the Give A Hand page, which is raising money for the Food Allergy Research and Education (FARE) organization.
"Timmy was just beginning what promised to be a remarkable journey in life," a description on the page read. "He was driven, kind, and deeply loved by family, friends, and everyone who had the joy of knowing him. He had so much ahead of him, and he approached life with a rare kind of kindness and light."
"He truly was one of the good ones—gentle, thoughtful, and full of love for others. His unexpected passing has left a profound void, but we are committed to honoring his memory in a way that brings purpose and change," the post continued.
Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Loved ones insisted that raising money for FARE, would "help prevent other families from facing similar tragedies, and to make the world safer for those living with life-threatening allergies," saying it's what they believe, "Timmy would have wanted."
"It is not goodbye forever it is until we meet again! We will always love our Timmy," Patty concluded in her Facebook post.
The page had raised over $25,500 as of Thursday, June 5. PEOPLE has reached out to Patty Howard for a tribute but did not immediately hear back.
Read the original article on People
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Newsweek
14 hours ago
- Newsweek
Woman Leaves US Due to Severe Allergies—Shock at What She Can Eat in Europe
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. "I didn't want to leave behind my entire life in the U.S., but I didn't feel like I had a choice," Bee told Newsweek, after allergic reactions meant she was only able to eat three foods. Previously, Bee, who doesn't wish to disclose her full name, could eat anything without concern. But in recent years, her body began to reject different foods, starting with gluten, dairy, coffee, certain vegetables, and then various types of berries. Every week it seemed like she developed a new allergy, and she couldn't fathom why. By 2024, she was only able to eat broccoli, coconut, and some chicken. It became "quite depressing" to stick to these three ingredients for every single meal. "I break out in hives, or a red rash or flushing that covers my chest and face," Bee said. "The rash is also hot and itchy. I'd have difficulty breathing, stabbing pain in my abdomen, migraines, tinnitus, joint pain, brain fog, congestion, and heard my heartbeat in my head." Bee with a rash on her neck and chest after eating in the US, compared to no rash in Europe. Bee with a rash on her neck and chest after eating in the US, compared to no rash in Europe. @bee70654 / TikTok Bee had to ensure she had an EpiPen, inhaler, Benadryl (and oddly enough, baking soda) on hand at all times in case she suffered a reaction. She couldn't take it any longer, and in November 2024, she left the U.S. and moved to Europe for a fresh start. (She doesn't wish to name the country publicly due to safety reasons.) "I had to, I felt like my body was slowly shutting down from lack of nutrition because my diet was so limited," she said. The first time Bee tried eating something that she's normally allergic to was purely by accident. She'd ordered a broccoli dish (of course) and discovered that it was cooked in a tomato sauce—one of her biggest triggers. She braced for a reaction, only for nothing to happen and no symptoms to arise. After that, she gradually expanded her reach and sampled other foods that would normally cause her an array of symptoms. To her amazement, she hasn't had a single reaction since leaving the U.S. Bee said: "I started with gluten, dairy, then moved onto fruits and vegetables. I was always safe about it—never doing it alone, knowing where the closest hospital was, having my meds on hand. After dozens of trials, I just kept getting the same results. "I almost didn't believe it at first and was pretty shocked. I knew that there was just something different about American food that I couldn't explain." Bee tested the limits of her allergies under the guidance of a doctor and doesn't encourage anyone to try this without seeking medical advice. After doing tests with her doctor, Bee learned that she has high levels of the mycotoxins Ochratoxin A, Trichothecenes, Aflatoxins, Gliotoxin, and Zearalenone. These are toxic substances produced by molds which can contaminate certain agricultural products. She was also diagnosed with a gene that impacts how efficiently her body can process mold-related toxins. Bee eating shrimp for the first time in years and not experiencing a reaction. Bee eating shrimp for the first time in years and not experiencing a reaction. @bee70654 / TikTok As Bee puts it, it's not the food she's allergic to, but the mold instead. "Over time, my body couldn't handle it because of my genetic factors. My doctor also thinks that preservatives and additives could have also been contributing to the histamine reactions because my body had such high levels of mold, so it was more sensitive," Bee told Newsweek. The EU and U.S. have different regulations when it comes to mycotoxins in food. The EU tends to be stricter and allows lower limits of toxins, while the maximum limits are often higher in the U.S. Aflatoxin M1 can be found in milk, and the U.S. allows a maximum of 500 nanograms per kilogram, in contrast to the EU which permits a limit of 50 nanograms per kilogram. Dr. Saira Q. Zafar, a board-certified allergist and immunologist at Schweiger Dermatology and Allergy, told Newsweek that Bee's experience is "not entirely surprising" since certain artificial dyes, preservatives, and pesticide residues that are banned or tightly regulated in the EU are allowed in the U.S. In some cases, what may seem like an allergy may in fact be a sensitivity to additives or contaminants, including pesticides or mycotoxins. Zafar said: "Histamine intolerance—where the body reacts to histamine-rich or histamine-releasing foods like shellfish, aged cheese, or fermented products—can cause symptoms like rashes, flushing, or gastrointestinal upset. These may mimic an allergy but stem from impaired histamine breakdown. "If U.S. food production and storage methods lead to higher histamine or mold byproducts, it's conceivable that moving to a country with stricter regulations and fresher, less processed food could reduce symptoms." However, Bee's experience is anecdotal and it's important to stress the difference between that and a confirmed food allergy. Some food reactions may not be true allergies, but could relate to environmental exposures, microbiome changes, or chemical sensitivity, Zafar noted. After relocating, Bee started documenting her experiences of trying foods that once gave her allergic reactions on TikTok (@bee70654). The videos have captured plenty of attention online, with one even amassing over 1.8 million views and 188,000 likes at the time of writing. Bee can eat everything now in Europe, much to her delight. She's missed bread and dairy the most, and she cannot get enough of being able to eat them without fear. When she's returned to the U.S., the "food makes [her] sick" and she develops histamine reactions once more. "People shouldn't have to uproot their entire lives just to eat. I was disappointed to discover that the U.S. allows higher levels (or has no limits) mycotoxins in food," Bee said. "It's a relief to learn that my allergies were related to Mast Cell Activation Syndrome, which was triggered by mycotoxins and mold. I know there are people with real food allergies who don't have the privilege of eating foods abroad, or the privilege of uprooting their lives the way I did." Is there a health issue that's worrying you? Let us know via health@ We can ask experts for advice, and your story could be featured on Newsweek.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
How major US stock indexes fared Thursday, 7/31/2025
Stocks gave up early gains and closed lower on Wall Street, led by drops in health care companies. The S&P 500 fell 0.4% Thursday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 0.7%, and the Nasdaq composite slipped less than 0.1%. Health care stocks sank after the White House released letters asking big pharmaceutical companies to cut prices and make other changes in the next 60 days. Meta Platforms surged after the parent company of Facebook and Instagram crushed Wall Street's sales and profit targets even as the company continues to pour billions of dollars into artificial intelligence. On Thursday: The S&P 500 fell 23.51 points, or 0.4%, to 6,339.39. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 330.30 points, or 0.7%, to 44,130.98. The Nasdaq composite fell 7.23 points, or less than 0.1%, to 21,122.45. The Russell 2000 index of smaller companies fell 20.75 points, or 0.9%, to 2,211.65. For the week: The S&P 500 is down 49.25 points, or 0.8%. The Dow is down 770.94 points, or 1.7%. The Nasdaq is up 14.13 points, or 0.1%. The Russell 2000 is down 49.42 points, or 2.2%. For the year: The S&P 500 is up 457.76 points, or 7.8%. The Dow is up 1,586.76 points, or 3.7%. The Nasdaq is up 1,811.66 points, or 9.4%. The Russell 2000 is down 18.51 points, or 0.8%. Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
The Medical Consequences of Starvation
The 'worst-case scenario of famine' is unfolding in Gaza, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) warned in a July 29 alert, adding that 'access to food and other essential items and services has plummeted to unprecedented levels.' Widespread starvation, malnutrition, and disease are driving a rise in hunger-related deaths, the IPC, a United Nations-affiliated organization, added, calling for 'immediate action' to be taken to end 'catastrophic human suffering.' 'This is an incredibly important health catastrophe right now in Gaza, both in the short term and in the long term,' says Dr. Deborah Frank, a professor of pediatrics at Boston University's Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, assistant professor of community health science at the School of Public Health, director of the Grow Clinic for Children at Boston Medical Center, and founder of Children's HealthWatch, which monitors the health of young children globally. 'It is fixable, but it's not a quick or easy fix. You need to have skilled people, and you need to have the supplies.' According to the IPC, more than 20,000 children in Gaza were treated for acute malnutrition from April to mid-July, and more than 3,000 of them were severely malnourished. Gaza's health ministry said July 28 that nearly 150 people have died from malnutrition since the Israel-Gaza war began in October 2023, including at least 88 children. A desperate environment At the end of April, Dr. Aqsa Durrani, a physician and epidemiologist with a public health focus in humanitarian emergency response, returned to the U.S. after spending two months in Gaza with Médecins Sans Frontières, also known as Doctors Without Borders. She was there on March 2, when Israel reimposed a blockade on the Gaza Strip, preventing the entry of food, fuel, medicine, and other humanitarian aid. By the time she left, doctors, nurses, and patients at the trauma field hospital where she worked were eating one meal a day—a little bit of rice, she says, or maybe some lentils; certainly no substantial protein or significant amount of vegetables. 'We spent many of our days just trying to work with organizations to see where we could find more food sources and more nutrition sources for our patients,' she says. 'It was impossible. I had mothers and children sharing one portion of one meal every day.' Read More: The Malnutrition Crisis in Gaza Will Outlive the War, Experts Warn Starvation triggered "psychological torment,' Durrani recalls: 'I had mothers coming to me and taking me aside and saying, 'Do you have anything else you can give my child?'' The conditions have worsened since she left, and her colleagues tell her they're now having one meal every two or three days. 'They're performing surgeries while they're hungry and then going home to hungry children,' she says. 'It's quite harrowing.' How starvation affects children The impact of starvation varies from child to child and person to person, says Abyan Ahmed, global humanitarian nutrition advisor for CARE, an international humanitarian organization fighting global poverty and hunger. Factors like immune health and body fat play a role; if someone is already undernourished, their health will deteriorate quickly, after a few days without food. Children and adults who are a normal weight, or on the heavier side, meanwhile, might not experience the harshest effects of starvation for weeks or even months, especially if they're able to have intermittent meals. When there's very limited access to food, the body flips into survival mode, first shutting down non-vital functions: the digestive system slows down, the reproductive system (ovaries and testes) may shrink, and growth and development stall. Once the body has used up all its stored carbs, it will start burning fat reserves and seek energy from the organs, muscles, and bones. Heart rate slows; blood pressure drops; body temperature declines.'The body is eating itself up to try to stay alive,' Frank says. Broken bones are common for children in this state. Malnutrition also weakens kids' immune systems, increasing the risk of infections like pneumonia, diarrhea, measles, and sepsis. While people can and do die from starvation, deaths are often caused by an infection, she adds. In the short term, malnourished kids suffer mentally and behaviorally as well as physically. 'They're irritable, they're lethargic, and they're apathetic,' Frank says. 'They look miserable, and that's exactly how they're feeling. In fact, when you're slowly feeding a malnourished child, what we talk about is the smile sign: when they get to the point where they can smile, you're on the way up.' Frank has worked with malnourished children who she initially worried were deaf or blind. 'They were so unresponsive when they were starving,' she recalls. 'Then you feed them, and indeed, this kid can hear and see. As they feel better, they start to interact and act much more normal,' but that recovery can take weeks or months. Health effects in adults Malnutrition affects adults in many of the same ways as it does children. 'When we think about how the body works, the initial stages of starvation will be the same for both men and women,' says Don Thushara Galbadage, an associate professor with the Harris College of Nursing and Health Sciences at Texas Christian University. In the first few weeks, 'they will experience fatigue, they will have muscle loss and muscle wasting, and they will have impaired cognition. And if it goes longer, some of their organ systems can malfunction and shut down.' 'We have seen, from case studies of starvation, that it takes up to 60 days before the body fully shuts down if the person has access to water,' Ahmed says. 'If you don't have access to water, you can die as quickly as three to five days.' People experiencing starvation are often unable to concentrate and don't have the energy to complete basic tasks, like getting out of bed or taking care of their children. 'If a mother is malnourished, all those tasks become incredibly hard to do,' Ahmed says. 'That leads to depression and mental-health issues, which also affect malnutrition—because if you have mental problems, you're unable to look after yourself and eat properly, even if food is available.' Plus, she says, many women are overwhelmed and distressed by the sound of their children crying out of hunger. Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding are especially vulnerable to the effects of starvation. Research suggests that expectant mothers in these situations are often unable to gain weight, and the risk of miscarriage and stillbirth increases. In one study, birth weight declined 9% during a famine, placental weight declined 15%, and length at birth declined 2.5%. 'In the third trimester, a lot of growth happens for the fetus, and when a mother is being starved, it has lifelong implications for the child,' says Ruth Gibson, a postdoctoral fellow in the department of health policy at Stanford University who specializes in global health, with a focus on improving maternal and child health in geopolitically complex regions. 'That includes things such as epigenetic modifications—so that's essentially when gene expression is changed—cardiovascular risks, chronic disease, and metabolic syndrome.' How starvation interferes with wound healing At the trauma field hospital in Gaza where Durrani worked, she mostly treated patients who had been injured by air strikes. Some had been burned by the resulting fires that rip through the region—and for their wounds to heal, they needed proper nutrition. If a child needs an amputation, for example, their surgical incisions may not heal because their body doesn't have enough protein to rebuild the tissue. In general, when wounds don't heal properly, the risk of infection increases. 'Very early on, I did have a baby die who developed an infection due to his nutritional status," Durrani says. 'If you think about a community that's being impacted by relentless air strikes—it's really just a layer of cruelty to add starvation to it.' A lifetime of consequences The effects of starvation can persist long after people regain access to food. 'What we can't see is the generational and intergenerational impacts' of the ongoing famine, Gibson says. Research suggests that kids who experience malnutrition are more likely to have poorer health—including an increased risk of diabetes, heart disease, and obesity, as well as muscular-skeletal deficiencies—and developmental delays that persist throughout their lives. They're also at heightened risk of anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and mental illnesses like schizophrenia. 'Not only does it reduce their cognitive development, but malnutrition has been associated with poor educational attainment, with poor IQ scores, with a lack of income in later life, and not being able to keep jobs because of behavioral problems,' Ahmed says. 'It sets the person off to this cycle of poverty, which then gives birth to more malnutrition in their families.' Addressing the chronic problems associated with malnutrition requires a systematic approach that likely isn't possible in Gaza in the near future, Ahmed says. For now, it's crucial to make sure as many people as possible have access to therapeutic nutrition support to help quell the immediate effects of starvation.'The priority right now is to keep as many people alive and get them to flourish again and get them back to a normal immune system,' Frank says, which can take a couple months in optimal conditions. 'But there's going to need to be long-term work for the children who survive, to decrease the chances of school failure, psychiatric disorder, and cardiovascular illness as they become adolescents and young adults.' A looming threat: refeeding syndrome When a child or adult has adapted to consuming very little food, they can't suddenly start eating a normal amount, even if supplies become available. Doing so could lead to a condition called refeeding syndrome, which causes a shift in fluids and electrolytes that can trigger cardiac arrhythmia, organ dysfunction, and death. 'On a less catastrophic level, you can get horrendous diarrhea and vomiting, which sets hydration back,' Frank says. 'It isn't just a matter of handing someone a box of cereal and saying, 'Go to it.' You have to be careful.' It can take doctors who are working with malnourished children up to 10 days to establish safe, consistent weight gain, Frank says. Typically, doctors provide kids with only a small portion of the calories they actually need based on their weight, while monitoring their physiology and stomach tolerance for a couple days. 'You gradually build up over time, first to the normal caloric needs, and then to the needs for catch-up growth,' she says. 'People who are caring for these kids need to know exactly what they're doing. The idea that you can parachute boxes of food on the babies' heads and then expect them to grow—it doesn't work like that.' Contact us at letters@ Solve the daily Crossword
