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18 June 2024, 10:45 | Updated: 18 June 2024, 10:48
Love Island’s Jack Fowler has had a medical emergency on an Emirates flight that resulted in admittance into hospital after an airline staff’s allergy faux pas.
Love Island’s Jack Fowler experienced a traumatic medical emergency aboard an Emirates flight to Dubai this past week which resulted in him needing five oxygen tanks and hospital assistance after the flight landed.
Jack initially rose to fame in series 4 of Love Island where he starred alongside the likes of Wes Nelson, Megan Hanson, Georgia Steel, Adam Collard, Dani Dyer and Jack Fincham. He also appeared in Love Island Games 2023 alongside Toby Aromolaran and Liberty Poole.
The Love Island Games winner uploaded a series of photos and videos on his Instagram calling out the airline for negligence after he suffered a life-threatening allergic reaction to nuts that he was promised were not in his meal.
28-year-old DJ and media personality showed himself injecting adrenalin from an EpiPen into his thigh mid-flight, as well as confronting images of himself breathing with the assistance of oxygen tanks.
In the caption, Jack wrote, “Can’t believe I’m having to post this. And I’m posting because people should be aware of the severity of how bad food allergies can be and the complete negligence from @emirates airline.”
“I recently flew with Emirates Airline where I was given a Cashew Nut. I made my flight attendant aware of my nut allergy twice before being given a chicken curry.”
“I wasn’t given a menu to [choose] from, instead I was asked directly if I wanted chicken or fish. I opted for the chicken. When I asked for the chicken I told the air-host that I’m severely allergic to all nuts. I was then told that there [were] no nuts in the chicken curry.”
“When I received the meal I asked the same flight attendant again to make sure, and again was told that it does not have nuts included. Trusting my flight attendant I began to eat the chicken curry. Immediately my throat closed up and breathing became extremely difficult.”
Jack revealed that even after numerous times doubling and triple checking that his attendants were aware of his allergy, he was served a chicken curry that clearly contained cashew nuts once the menu had been made available to him.
“I told a flight attendant I couldn’t breathe and if there was nuts in the food. I was told that there were no nuts in the chicken curry AGAIN. It was only when my friend demanded to see the food menu for the first time did I realise it was a ‘Creamy Cashew Nut chicken Curry’.”
Whether it was a genuine mistake or what seemed like negligence, the incident resulted in real and very scary consequences for Jack.
“This left me with the real possibility of dying on the plane as I knew I needed emergency treatment immediately. I was given five tanks of Oxygen, as well as administering my Adrenaline Pen (Epi Pen),” he continued to write.
“I told the flight supervisor ‘If you don’t land this plane soon, I will die on this plane’. This then lead to the pilot speeding up the journey.”
“Once we landed I was rushed into Dubai’s airport Hospital where I continued treatment. What needs to happen for Airlines to take food allergies seriously??”
Jack’s outrage at the situation was completely validated by his fans, who called the situation ‘shocking’ and ‘appalling.’
One even revealed, as an ex-staff member of that very airline, what the process should have been for the attendant, writing in the comments, “Ex Emirates crew here. We have allergy papers on board & if someone states an allergy you do not give any food until checking those forms.”
“It’s mandatory & we are taught this in training! Inexperienced crew & negligence leading to a life-threatening situation. So sorry you went through this I hope Emirates do better.”
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