A Half Hollow Hills family whose daughter suffered an allergic reaction to peanuts while attending her junior prom say adults on scene accused her of using drugs.
Arianna Varghese, 17, said her throat closed up after she took a bite of a cookie at the prom held at Half Hollow Hills High School West, not realizing it contained macadamia nuts. She fell ill, feeling nauseous. She said that instead of taking care of her, school officials and a nurse questioned her about drugs.
The school district, however, say the school nurse “acted immediately” to assess her vitals and take care of her, including asking her questions about her health, while waiting for first responders to arrive. They say it took 15 minutes from the time the school nurse began treating her until the first responders arrived; the family says it was closer to 45 minutes.
Her father, who is a physician’s assistant, rushed to the school when his daughter called him, and delivered an epi-pen. She was later treated at Huntington Hospital.