A 16-year-old boy went into anaphylactic shock and died minutes after eating ice cream with his friends.
Adriano D’Orsi and his two pals stopped at their usual gelateria on the way home after a carefree evening on Saturday (16 May).
The first symptoms of a severe respiratory reaction appeared immediately after the teenager’s first few mouthfuls.
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He asked his friends for help, and they supported him as they rushed to his father Mauro D’Orsi’s home.
There, Mauro desperately tried to save his son’s life by administering cortisone, but it had no effect.
When emergency services arrived in Casoria, Italy, Adriano was already unconscious and all resuscitation attempts proved unsuccessful.
Adriano knew he was severely allergic to milk proteins and reportedly always took great care with everything he ate.
His mother, Antonietta Esposito, told local media: “Since he was little, he had episodes we couldn’t explain.
“Then, after tests, we discovered his allergy.
“But Adriano adapted very well.
“Before eating anything, he would carefully read the label and never made mistakes.
“Adriano used to go to that ice cream shop, and the staff serving the cones were aware of his severe lactose intolerance and would steer him towards the lactose-free tubs.
“But he told me that he always read the labels anyway.”
Adriano is believed to have eaten dairy-free fruit ice cream, as reported by Need To Know.
However, traces of milk may have ended up in it, either via the scoop or the ice cream machine.
Police have seized several tubs of ice cream from the gelateria as part of an ongoing investigation.
A post-mortem examination will be carried out to determine the exact cause of death.
Adriano was in his third year at the nautical institute in Bagnoli and dreamed of becoming a ship captain.
Antonietta added: “He knew what he wanted to do with his future.
“He used to tell me, ‘Mum, in two years I’ll take you travelling around the world, you’ll see…’
“Now all of that is gone.
“Adriano was a wonderful boy.
“A perfect son, the kind many mothers would wish for.
“And I was lucky enough to have him.”
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