Adriano D’Orsi († 16) tragically died just a few minutes after having an ice cream with his friends. On Saturday, May 16, the teenager went with two friends to their favorite ice cream parlor. After a few bites of ice cream, however, he began to show symptoms of a severe respiratory reaction, writes
As soon as he began to feel difficulties, he desperately begged his friends for help. They rushed him to his father, Mauro D’Orsi, who tried to save his life by giving him a cortisone injection to relieve the allergy symptoms. However, the injection did not help and when the emergency services arrived, the young man was already unconscious and resuscitation attempts were unsuccessful.
Adriano had a severe allergy to milk proteins and went into anaphylactic shock. His family said he was always cautious and avoided dairy products. “He had seizures since he was little. After tests, we found out he had an allergy. Since then, he always read the labels carefully. He went to the ice cream parlor regularly and the staff knew about his severe lactose intolerance. They always recommended lactose-free options to him. But he told me that he always read the ingredients just to be sure,” explained mom Antonietta Esposito.
The family therefore believes that the boy ate fruit ice cream without milk, but traces of milk could have gotten into it either through a contaminated scoop or the ice cream maker itself. As part of the ongoing investigation, police have seized several ice cream samples from the ice cream parlor and an autopsy has been ordered by a pathologist to determine the exact cause of death.
Adriano was in his third year at the Maritime Institute and dreamed of becoming a ship captain. “It’s all gone now. He was a wonderful boy. The perfect son every mother would want. And I was lucky enough to have him.” a devastated mother paid an emotional tribute to her son.
