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A new petition has called for food allergy measures to be issued in California after Disney influencer Dominique Brown died due to an allergic reaction at a holiday food event.
Brown, 34, experienced the allergic reaction at an event hosted by retailer BoxLunch in downtown Los Angeles on December 5. According to the Daily Mail, fellow influencers at the event said the item she ate was unmarked, and she was allegedly told that the food item did not contain the ingredient she was allergic to.
The influencer, who frequently posted about her love for Disney on her social media accounts, received CPR at the event before 911 was contacted, People reported.
Following Brown’s death, her close friend Marcus Medley shared a Change.org petition aiming to “mandate life-saving food allergy measures at all food establishments.” The petition already has more than 19,000 signers as of Monday (December 9).
“Allegedly, despite informing staff of her life-threatening allergy, she was served a dish containing the allergen,” Medley wrote about Brown in the petition’s description. “Allegedly, the establishment lacked critical life-saving tools like epinephrine autoinjectors (EpiPens) and trained staff to respond effectively.”
The petition has called for legislation requiring three demands, the first being “mandatory epinephrine autoinjectors at all establishments that serve food.”
Supporters are also urging for “staff training on recognizing and treating allergic reactions,” and “real-time ingredient transparency, including clear communication protocols between chefs, servers, and patrons to ensure all ingredients in a dish are disclosed.”
Speaking to local California news station KTLA, Medley said that while food allergies have been treated as “a preference,” they’re actually “life or death serious.”
“Domo’s story isn’t unique, and that’s why we want justice and change. People should be able to eat out without fear that their next meal could be their last,” he said.
A representative for BoxLunch told the outlet that when Brown suffered her allergic reaction, emergency services were immediately called. The DJ at the event reportedly made two announcements to ask if someone had an EpiPen, as well as measures taken to ensure the venue knew all of the guests’ allergies. The spokesperson said the company is arranging grief counseling for its team, and an investigation into the incident has been launched.
Following the event, BoxLunch also issued a statement about Brown’s death and sent condolences to her family.
“We are devastated by the passing of Dominique Brown, a beloved member of the BoxLunch Collective, who suffered a medical emergency at an event hosted by BoxLunch on Thursday in Los Angeles,” the company said in the statement. “Our hearts go out to her family and friends, and we will do everything we can to support them and the members of the BoxLunch Collective and our team during this painful time.”
The Independent had contacted BoxLunch for comment.
Brown was a long-time Walt Disney World enthusiast, with more than 21,000 followers on Instagram. The influencer was also the co-creator of the account Black Girl Disney, which she ran with her friend Mia Von, who’s based in Texas. Last month, she attended the premiere of Moana 2 at the El Capitan Theater in Hollywood.
Her final Instagram post was a video of herself at a Disney store. Brown was seen wearing a hat featuring the Disney cartoon Winnie the Pooh, along with a yellow and brown Winnie the Pooh-themed sweater and brown pants.
“Since this Winnie the Pooh hat is now available on @disneystore website, you should get it!” she wrote in the caption.