It was Thanksgiving in Maine when 11-year-old Oakley Debbs was having a vacation with his family. The straight-A student from West Palm Beach, Florida, was also a star athlete, even though he had asthma and food allergies.
His family had ordered a Thanksgiving basket for the celebration, and Oakley chose to eat a piece of cake from the selection of treats.
What happened next was a really sad turn of events, which led his family and friends to start a campaign to raise awareness and stop such things from happening to others.
Oakley loved playing tennis, football, and soccer, and he was also a marathon runner, despite dealing with asthma and nut allergies. His family called him a “brave and strong warrior” for fighting against these challenges.
On November 24, Oakley chose to have a slice of the pound cake that was left on the kitchen table where they were staying in Maine. His mom, Merrill Debbs, mentioned that Oakley always needed to check labels before eating anything and didn’t notice any signs of nuts.
“He thought it was just a piece of cake,” said his dad, Robert Debbs. “But after he ate it, he came over and said it might have had nuts in it.” After his mom tried a bit, she agreed it had a nutty taste, which was later found out to be walnut.
“Merrill did what we usually do; she gave him Benadryl [pills],” Robert explained. “And he came back and said he felt okay.” At that time, his only symptom was one hive on his lip.
However, soon after, Oakley started to complain about chest pains, and then he began to vomit. His parents called 911, but when the ambulance got there 10 minutes later, he was blue. Oakley’s airways had closed up, and his heart had stopped beating.
I am writing on behalf of Robert J. Debbs Merrill Debbs and Oakley’s twin sister, Olivia. It is with a heavy heart I…
Posted by Tyler Debbs Squire on Saturday, November 26, 2016
The family had to accept the heartbreaking loss and figure out why Oakley couldn’t be saved.
“I can’t believe my wonderful, incredible, talented, and sweet son is gone,” Merrill said.
To help others, the family created the Red Sneaker Foundation, which teaches people how to spot the signs of anaphylaxis, a serious and life-threatening reaction to allergens.
Since Oakley loved his red sneakers, the family chose to use them as a strong symbol to promote education and awareness about food allergies in communities.
Posted by Red Sneakers For Oakley on Thursday, December 1, 2016
Even if someone has mild allergy symptoms, experts say that the medicine epinephrine should be given right away.
“My child was amazing, he was such a great kid,” Merrill shared. “Deep down, I always believed he would change the world – I just didn’t expect it would be after he was gone. That’s a huge part of what motivates me – Oakley’s legacy.”
Please share this story to help people understand the risks of food allergies and how we can work together to stop this kind of tragedy from happening again.