A mother was left fighting for her life after a mystery allergy that causes her to suffer daily anaphylactic shocks nearly stopped her heart.
Laura-Anne Davis, 29, was at a friend’s birthday party on February 9 when she was rushed to intensive care with a suspected peanut allergy.
Paramedics gave her ‘six or seven rounds of adrenaline’ on the way to the hospital while she was ‘vibrating’ in the back of the ambulance.
Her husband Tom, 30, has now told of the horror.
Mrs Davis suffers from anaphylactic shocks ‘often multiple times a day, resulting in multiple hospital admissions a week’ – but the cause remains a mystery.
Earlier this month she had an allergic reaction so severe she went into peri-arrest, a life-threatening state which refers to the time frame during which a person shows signs and symptoms of cardiac arrest, but their heart has not yet stopped beating.
Mrs Davis, mother to two-year-old Amelia, was very nearly intubated as a result.
Medics said one more similar episode could result in her being put into a coma.
Tom and Laura-Anne Davis, aged 30 and 29, pictured with their two-year-old daughter Amelia
Mrs Davis was rushed to intensive care last month where she entered the life-threatening state of peri-arrest – the time frame during which a person shows signs and symptoms of cardiac arrest, but their heart has not yet stopped beating
Mr Davis, who has started a GoFundMe page to help fund their coming months, told the Daily Mail how his wife has suffered from anaphylactic shocks often multiple times a day since last October, when, on a trip into town, she suddenly felt short of breath.
The former nurse and care home worker was told for years that she had a peanut allergy – and believed her reaction late last year was caused by ‘contaminated coffee syrup’.
But blood tests taken in December revealed she does not have a peanut allergy – and that there is ‘no rhyme or reason’ to these reactions, which can occur at ‘random moments’ of the day, according to her husband.
Mr Davis said: ‘She will just be pottering around the house and [suddenly] feel short of breath or itchy.
‘Sometimes she will be out and about or at home in the evening.
‘It gets to the point where you start joking with the paramedics about when they’re going to turn up next.’
He has even begun to notice, often before Mrs Davis has told him, when she is beginning to have another reaction.
The 29-year-old will become tight-chested, have a scratchy throat and break out in rashes, causing her to turn ‘bright red’. She also feels nauseous and needs to vomit.
Mr and Mrs Davis pictured on their wedding day
Mrs Davis’s symptoms include a tight chest, scratchy throat, rashes which turn her ‘bright red’, nausea and vomiting
The couple, from Hemel Hempstead, in Hertfordshire, went to their GP about her mystery allergy – but doctors could not figure out what was wrong.
Mrs Davis was then referred to NHS allergy experts in West Hertfordshire to ‘pin-point’ whether she was suffering from a worsening or new intolerance – but they had ‘no idea what was going on’ either, said her husband.
But medics are concerned that using EpiPens and medications to treat her anaphylactic reactions regularly could ‘break’ her heart.
Mr Davis said: ‘It’s easy to hold it together when the paramedics are here.
‘But there are instances late at night or in the early hours of the morning, where it is stressful not knowing how long she could be in hospital.’
He added that it’s hard trying to remember how long his wife has spent in hospital since October as she has ‘probably spent more time in hospital than at home over the past few months’.
‘Luckily we have friends who have rallied round us,’ said Mr Davis.
He has had to give up his full-time job as a medical administrator and now has a part-time job as a cleaner so he can be there for his wife and two-year-old daughter, Amelia.
Mrs Davis performing on stage for a local theatre company, where she met her husband
Mr Davis has set up a fundraiser to help pay for private healthcare
He said: ‘Life still goes on and Amelia comes first. We are trying to keep things as normal as possible for her.
‘Laura-Anne just wants to be at home with her family. Amelia has been quite good but she says she “misses mummy” which is heartbreaking.
‘Laura-Anne has always looked out for other people and is always doing what’s best for Amelia and makes sure she’s happy.
‘Before she became unwell she worked in a lot of care homes, she is a former nurse.
‘Her proudest achievement was working with immunosuppressed patients through Covid.
‘She wants to be a paramedic. She thrives in chaos, under pressure.’
Mr Davis has set up a GoFundMe page to help pay for private healthcare.
On it, he wrote: ‘Laura-Anne’s health hasn’t been simple since we met 10 years ago – but she has always kept going, pushed through and been there for others no matter what.
‘The last couple of years have been a manageable struggle, however over the past six months things have taken a sharp decline.
‘So far the doctors don’t have much of an idea what’s going on, and the concern for her health alongside the effects of all the various medications (adrenaline, steroids, etc.) is rising.
‘For anyone that doesn’t know, my wife has been suffering from severe anaphylactic shocks (often multiple times a day, resulting in multiple hospital admissions a week).
‘She’s probably spent more time in hospital than at home over the past few months and being away from her family is breaking her.
‘Amelia is now starting to understand that mummy is poorly, which is so hard to see as her dad.
‘On 9th February, Laura-Anne was taken into hospital with another attack. Unfortunately whilst having a further attack in hospital, she went into peri-arrest: ending up in intensive care and very nearly being intubated (we’ve been told one more episode like that and she is likely to end up in coma).
‘Due to our situation I have had to give up full time work to be her carer and look after our Amelia.
‘Until recently I have managed to make a part-time role work, but due to the increasing frequency and severity of these episodes I have had to miss a lot of shifts, and it’s a scary time for us on all fronts.
‘We have managed to find some specialist clinics, doctors and hospitals who could hopefully help Laura-Anne and really change her life – however these cost money.
‘So we’re asking for just enough to cover a couple of initial appointments, to get the ball rolling, then we can work out next steps from there.
‘Anything over [the] asked amount will go towards more appointments/tests/medications.’
Mr Davis described his wife as ‘genuinely the most selfless person’ who ‘has always put others before herself’ and ‘made sure her friends and family are okay before she is’.
He added: ‘Despite everything going on, she is just the best mum to our little girl and I will do anything to make sure we don’t lose any more of her than we already have done.’
A spokesperson for West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust said: ‘We are unable to comment on individual patients or their care but can provide assurance that our clinical teams follow thorough, evidence‑based processes when assessing and diagnosing all conditions.
‘In cases where a diagnosis is complex or unclear patients may undergo further tests, monitoring or referral to specialist services to ensure they receive the most appropriate care.
‘If a patient has concerns about their treatment or diagnosis we encourage them to contact our Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS), who can discuss their experience directly and provide support.’
