Latest news with #Epi-Pens
New York Post
09-05-2025
- New York Post
Teacher with deadly allergy claims $13K honeymoon flight could kill her: ‘This is life or death for me'
' 'Til death do us part' could be sooner than expected, she feared. A UK teacher fears her honeymoon flight could be her last as an airline has allegedly vowed to continue serving nuts despite her deadly allergy. 'I thought Qatar Airways would be more understanding and accommodating of the allergy,' Bethany Roads, 27, told Kennedy News and Media. 'This is life or death for me.' Advertisement The Kent native has suffered from a severe airborne nut allergy since she was 4, but didn't think it would be a problem while planning her honeymoon this year. 4 'They know about the allergy, and they're choosing to do it (serve nuts) anyway,' claimed Roads. Kennedy News and Media Roads and her partner of nine years, Connor Burns, 29 — whom she's slated to wed in August — had booked the trip of a lifetime to Tanzania and Zanzibar. The total cost for the trip was estimated at around $13,000. Advertisement 'This is a dream destination for us,' she gushed. 'It's something we've both wanted to do for a long time.' To ensure her 'special' vacation went smoothly, Roads reached out to Qatar Airlines to alert them of her nut allergy, which can induce anaphylactic shock — a severe reaction that can stop the sufferer's breathing or heartbeat. She requested that the carrier make 'an announcement,' she told Kennedy News, but claimed she was told they couldn't 'guarantee it'll be 100% safe.' 4 'When I've been on flights in the past, they've always said any nut products won't be sold and informed passengers, made announcements. I've never had a problem until now,' said Roads, pictured with her fiancé, Connor Burns, 29. Advertisement Despite the potential danger, the airline allegedly failed to heed her request. 'I said, 'If you can't make an announcement, can I make my own?' and they told me on the phone if I do, that there would be a chance I could be kicked off the flight for going against their policies,' the 'shocked' Brit claimed. 'They said they would still serve them, knowing I could go into anaphylaxis. They said this would not be intentional around me.' Roads said that Qatar Airways, in an exchange of messages shared with Kennedy Media, suggested that as a precaution for her own 'safety,' the teacher should make sure to bring an EpiPen and use 'hand sanitizer, face wipes and appropriate medications,' she said. 'Inform the co-passenger about the allergy, request for window or seats at the back, and avoid contact with the allergens,' Qatar reps added. 'However, the requests are not guaranteed and would be subject to availability.' Advertisement 4 Roads reveals a response from Qatar Airways. Kennedy News and Media Roads believed their response would be wilfully putting her life 'at risk.' 'They know about the allergy, and they're choosing to do it anyway,' she said. 'There's a risk of me dying with anaphylaxis, even with two Epi-Pens with me.' The distraught educator added, 'One person ignoring an announcement and continuing to eat a bag of nuts is very different to them giving out nuts to 300 people on a plane.' The traveler was particularly appalled because she said she'd been on flights in the past where understanding crew members announced that they wouldn't hand out nuts on account of her condition. Roads has even contemplated scrapping the honeymoon altogether, as it wasn't worth the risk. 'Canceling the trip is definitely something we would have to consider,' the pedagogue said. 'People don't understand what an airborne allergy is.' Advertisement Roads declared that the carrier had a 'legal requirement' to ensure she had a safe flight, saying: 'Passenger safety is meant to be their utmost priority but what they're saying to me is the opposite of that.' A spokesperson for the carrier has since addressed the incident in a statement, in which they reiterated their company's allergy policy. 'We do our best to accommodate passengers with allergy needs,' the representative told Kennedy News, quoting the guidelines. 'But as our flights are open to the public, we cannot guarantee an allergen-free environment.' They added, 'Qatar Airways' allergy policy is available online, and we thank Ms Roads for notifying us of her circumstances. Our customer care team is in direct contact with her.' Advertisement The policy further stipulates that passengers 'are responsible for carrying any necessary medication with them onboard' and that they 'may be required to sign a waiver of liability.' 4 UK teacher Bethany Roads fears her honeymoon flight on Qatar could be her last. AFP/Getty Images Unfortunately, this isn't the first time Qatar Airways has been accused of failing to heed someone's nut allergy disclaimer. Advertisement Nut allergy sufferer Amy Pearson thought she'd die after two airlines handed out peanuts on a 14-hour journey last year — despite her notifying them of her allergy in advance.
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Illinois advocates concerned about proposed cuts to care hours for developmentally disabled
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (NEXSTAR) — If you just look at the line item for the Illinois Department of Human Services in Governor Pritzker's proposed budget, you will see an increase for services for the developmentally disabled. However, advocates are now drawing attention to a specific cut that could result in less care hours for people who need care in group homes. The They Deserve More Coalition, which is made up of different organizations that support the developmentally disabled, came to the Illinois State Capitol to share their concerns. Bill cracking down on license plate flippers in Illinois passes Senate The Governor's proposed budget would include a $32 million dollar decrease in funded hours for care of developmentally disabled living in group homes. The funded hours specifically pay for direct support professionals to staff these group homes. The Illinois Association for Rehabilitation Facilities said the decrease would result in 900,000 hours being cut from the current total, which could mean over an hour less of care per day. 'If we cut 900,000 hours out of the service system from those people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, then they're going to be in danger of not being able to live effectively in their community,' Lore Baker, President of the Association for Individual Development said. People with developmental disabilities are assessed and prescribed a certain number of hours of care. In these group home settings, hours are typically pooled together to make sure the people have the proper care. A spokesperson for Governor JB Pritzker's office said the rollback is more about efficiently using the hours allotted. Illinois House passes 'Dillon's Law' to help more people carry Epi-Pens 'The discussion of the 'funded hours' obscures a basic fact: IDHS and Governor Pritzker are committing more to DD services than ever before,' Spokesman for the Governor Alex Gough said in a statement. 'Providers will never be told 'you've reached your hours limit' or be forced to lay off support workers. The global hours total is part of a funding model with multiple parts, designed to fairly and equitably distribute limited resources.' The administration pointed to the other investments being made to services for the developmentally disabled. Those include a 50-cent per hour wage increase for direct support professionals. It's also another year of increases for the overall budget for that division. That overall increase is why advocates and organizations were so caught off guard by the proposed cut, especially since they thought they were past this discussion. This cut was proposed after the state already backed off a much bigger proposed cut last year. Starting in 2023, the state was prepared to cut 2.3 million hours to the same area. At the time, the state said that was just a step in implementing the findings from the state-commissioned Guide House Rate study, but the state backtracked on that plan after pressure from advocates and lawmakers. While this proposal will impact significantly less hours, advocates still say it will result in a loss of care. Bill to ban two food additives passes Illinois Senate 'I think it might be possible if the hours didn't disappear,' Baker said. 'But what happened, instead of moving around two hours to go have more hours for someone who has a higher service need and less hours for someone who needs less support, the total amount of hours in the system totally shrunk.' The governor's proposed budget is just that — a proposal. Lawmakers will spend the next month and a half hammering out the details of the budget. Advocates voiced their concerns about these proposed cuts to the appropriations committee in the House of Representatives. 'Every legislator that we've spoken to has been shocked that this was in the governor's proposed budget,' Baker said. 'They keep saying, didn't we fix this last year? And we're like, We thought so, but not so much.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
12-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Bill cracking down on license plate flippers in Illinois passes Senate
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WCIA) — A bill outlawing license plate flippers has passed the Illinois Senate. The bill to explicitly ban license plate flippers is sponsored by State Sen. Steve Stadelman (D-Rockford). The flippers enable motorists to avoid tolls and identification by police when potentially violating the law with just the push of a button. Illinois House passes 'Dillon's Law' to help more people carry Epi-Pens 'Many drivers are using plate flippers to avoid tolls and police, evading the consequences of their actions on our roadways,' Stadelman said. 'Banning flipper devices is a crucial step toward keeping our roads safe and holding drivers accountable.' While driving with an obscured license plate is already illegal, the bill stops the use of tape and any other 'manual, electronic, or mechanical device' that 'hides or obscures a registration plate.' 'Everyone needs to play by the same rules of the road,' Stadelman added. 'This measure allows us to take a clear stand for public safety and responsible driving.' The bill was passed unanimously in the Senate. It now heads to the Illinois House of Representatives. Other states with similar laws include Pennsylvania and Tennessee. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
11-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Illinois House passes ‘Dillon's Law' to help more people carry Epi-Pens
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WCIA) — An Illinois bill passing Dillon's Law could help save lives by making a medication more accessible. Under Dillon's Law, anyone could be trained to use, carry and administer epinephrine (commonly called Epi-Pens) to save someone who is experiencing anaphylaxis. It is commonly only prescribed for people with known allergies. Neoga superintendent speaks out against Illinois bill that would ban indigenous mascots The legislation is named after 18-year-old Dillon Mueller, who died from anaphylaxis after being stung by a bee. He had no knowledge he was allergic to bee stings. Despite someone with him having multiple first aid kits as well as first responders attempting to help, no epinephrine was available to save Mueller. The bill's sponsor said it will save lives for people with undiagnosed severe allergies. 'As the father of a daughter with a peanut allergy, I know how important it is to be prepared for allergic reactions,' State Rep. Maurice West (D-Rockford) said. 'Dillon's Law will help keep people safe in unexpected emergency situations and help prevent unnecessary tragedies.' Homeschool Act stalls in House ahead of April 11th deadline Dillon's Law was first passed in Wisconsin in 2017, and has also been passed in nearby states like Minnesota, Indiana, and Michigan. The bill received unanimous support from both chambers, and heads to the State Senate. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
