Off The Record
An Outstanding Athlete Boy Eats Thanksgiving Cake; Hours Later, He Is Dead In His Dad’s Arms
Eleven-year-old Oakley Debbs was on vacation with his family in Maine around Thanksgiving. Despite having food allergies and asthma, the straight-A student from West Palm Beach, Florida, was also an outstanding athlete.
For the occasion, his family had purchased a Thanksgiving basket, and Oakley chose to have a piece of cake from the pre-made assortment of goodies.
The tragic course of events that followed led his family and friends to launch a campaign to help spread awareness and stop similar situations from happening to other people.
On November 24, Oakley made the decision to indulge in a piece of the pound cake that was left out on their Maine vacation home’s kitchen table. Oakley’s mother, Merrill Debbs said that he had to always read labels before he ate anything and that he never saw any indications of nuts.
“He thought it was just a piece of cake,” said his father, Robert Debbs. “But when he ate it, he come over and said it might have contained nuts.” After his mother tried some, she agreed it had a nut flavor, which was later determined to be walnut.
“Merrill did what we usually do, she gave him Benadryl [pills],” said Robert. “And he came back and said he felt fine.” At that point, his only symptom was a single hive on his lip.
However, Oakley began throwing up soon after he complained of chest symptoms. After his parents dialed 911, he was blue when the ambulance arrived ten minutes later. Oakley’s heart had stopped beating and his airways had closed.
On behalf of Olivia, Oakley’s twin sister, and Robert J. Debbs Merrill Debbs, I am writing. I say this with sorrowful heart.
The family then had to accept such a devastating loss and comprehend Oakley’s unsalvageability.
“I don’t think my beautiful, amazing, talented, and adorable son should have passed away,” said Merrill.
The family established the Red Sneaker Foundation to educate people about the warning signs of anaphylaxis, an acute, multiorgan, potentially fatal reaction to allergens.
Oakley’s red sneakers have special meaning for his family, so they chose to use them to raise awareness and educate communities of people with food allergies.
Experts advise using the medication adrenaline as soon as possible, even in cases where allergic response symptoms are not severe.
“The child of mine, he was a rock star, he was a good, good kid,” said Merrill. “And always in my heart of hearts, I knew that he would make a difference in his life—I just didn’t know it would be after he passed away. So that’s a big part of my driving force—the legacy of Oakley.”
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