She accepted the marriage proposal, but died a few days later after using the wrong spoon

Craig McKinnon He had prepared everything for a trip to South Africa with his girlfriend Jess Prinsloo It was unforgettable. Most of his family lives in South Africa and there was no better place to propose. But days later, Craig returned to London with his girlfriend’s remains.

As the media has published GlassIt is believed that 24-year-old Jess, who was a Severe milk allergy Then a fatal reaction occurred Using the wrong spoon to stir your tea.

While the couple were on their dream trip to South Africa for a week, on December 27, Craig popped the question at God’s Window Observatory in Mpumalanga: “‘Will you marry me?’ It was a very happy day for him to hear from the other side with tears in his eyes, “Yes, I would.” But A beautiful holiday in South Africa ended in a nightmare.

Blank and heartbroken, Craig recalled: “Most of her family lives in South Africa and she hasn’t been back in six years, so I knew there was no better place to propose. “My voice broke as I knelt down and asked: ‘Will you marry me?She was like, ‘Oh my gosh,’ and started crying before saying yes,” he reveals. Glass.

But after spending the next few days celebrating with champagne and “a lot of laughter”, they went to Jess’ mother’s house in Johannesburg on December 30. It was here that Jess came into contact with dairy products.

Within seconds, the worst happened: He began to suffer AnaphylaxisA fatal reaction, which caused her to choke, and she died in hospital the next day on New Year’s Eve.

As the story can be reconstructed, Jess – who worked as a marketing executive – always carried two EpiPens with her in case of anaphylaxis, but this time they failed. EpiPens are pens designed to automatically administer a dose Epinephrine To stop an allergic reaction in the person’s thigh.

Craig said: “When Jess died, a part of me died too, but no one was to blame for her death. But, God, she had so many accidents.

Craig and Jess met in college in 2019 and moved in together after the Covid-19 lockdown in 2021.

On the day she got sick, Creek recalled Jess’ brother waking her up and telling her she was having a bad reaction. “She was sitting on the toilet seat, struggling to breathe. I used an EpiPen, but it didn’t have the effect it usually does.”

Jess was rushed to the hospital, where doctors fought to save her, but could not.

Craig believes years of allergic reactions have had a cumulative effect on Jess. She has been allergic to milk since she was nine months old. She remembers Jess telling her how she survived when she was 18 by eating milk in curry.

She also recalled another episode that indicated how difficult it was for Jess to live with the disease. She asked A vegan dessert should be dairy-free, had an allergic reaction and needed antihistamines, an EpiPen and a trip to the hospital. I didn’t eat milk for about three years because it wasn’t worth the risk.”

After Jess’s death, Craig, from Salisbury, Wilts, was hit with £3,700 in medical bills and £1,200 in post-mortem fees.

Jess’ relatives started a page GoFundMe Pay the bills for his funeral in South Africa on January 6. Meanwhile, Craig knows that nothing he experiences will ever be the same without Jess.