A lengthy and thorough investigation conducted by specialist lawyers concluded that no compensation can be paid to assist Amy as the restaurant responsible for this tragedy disastrously failed to hold Public Liability Insurance. No medical insurance can be claimed as Amy’s condition was lifelong and therefore excluded from her policy.

The tragedy that changed the life of Amy and the lives of many of those around her occurred on April 14th 2014 whilst she was enjoying a weekend break in Budapest.

Severely allergic to nuts all her life, Amy adeptly managed her condition, she was never without a lifesaving EpiPen, an adrenaline filled syringe, and medication. This condition never curtailed Amy’s enormous zest and love for life as her family and many friends would confirm. She eloquently learnt to convey her requirements wherever she was from a very young age

Amy, 26 at the time, travelled to Hungary for a long weekend with 4 friends. On the third day, she ordered a simple meal in a restaurant, having followed her lifelong stringent habit of making known to staff her dietary requirements, which whilst abroad, included showing the waiting staff an allergy information card printed in the local language stating that she suffered a potentially fatal allergy. Amy was assured several times that the meal that she had chosen was free from all nut products.

Amy experienced a catastrophic anaphylaxis reaction after the first bite of food. The reaction was so severe that Amy suffered a cardiac arrest. With her friends watching helplessly, paramedics fought to save Amy’s life in the road outside of the restaurant, she was then rushed to the Peterfy Hospital in Budapest and immediately put into an induced coma.

Amy had sustained a severe brain injury due to lack of oxygen, her brain had been starved for six minutes, and her life was being maintained by a life support machine.

During 3 harrowing weeks in ICU, as her body lay completely motionless in a comatose state, Amy was unaware of the additional daily traumas which unfolded. The machines monitoring her told their tale of concern, alerting the medics who administered ever more drugs and initiated procedures simply to maintain Amy’s life and hopefully to stabilise. As Amy returned from theatre with a brain probe inserted as an additional monitor her parents who had flown immediately from the UK, and her aunt who joined them a few days later could only watch and wait. The decision was made to increase the depth of coma into which Amy had been placed 3 separate times until the maximum level possible was reached in an attempt to prevent further brain damage occurring. The days turned into weeks as Amy endured horrifying seizures and pneumonia. Visiting times were restricted to a very quiet 1 hour slot twice a day which had to be rigidly adhered to.  

Amy was considered stable to fly after 3 weeks in ICU. She was taken by air ambulance back to the UK to be received into the intensive care unit of St.Thomas’ Hospital in London. She spent eleven months in the hospital, cared for by superb nursing staff as she dealt with many serious health issues. She fought septicemia several times and endured the serious gastrological condition SMA brought on by her brain injury and severe weight loss, this caused many months of distress prior to a diagnosis was reached and surgery resolved the problem.

March 2015 saw Amy transferred to the Royal Hospital for Neuro-disability in Putney for a period of NHS allocated rehabilitation. A further location transfer took place in January 2016 to a specialist care facility unit in Essex. Many arrangements are required to allow her to return to her parents’ home which will be her next move.

A lengthy and thorough investigation conducted by specialist lawyers concluded that no compensation can be paid to assist Amy as the restaurant responsible for this tragedy disastrously failed to hold Public Liability Insurance. No medical insurance can be claimed as Amy’s condition was lifelong and therefore excluded from her policy.

We have an excellent team of therapists on board who are treating Amy on a frequent and very intense basis, she enjoys both the main disciplines of Physiotherapy and Speech and Language therapy, and is engaged and enthusiastic for every session. She has a very long and challenging road ahead of her but her tenacious spirit and strong will is clear to see.

 Amy’s story is ongoing. She will require much therapy and work to allow progression and comfort to continue and costs are huge and incessant. The support that has been received via the Amy May Trust is invaluable, it has entirely funded the therapy so far received, along with many medical needs and the vehicle essential to transport her. This support makes a true difference to Amy’s life and to her future.

We are forever thankful for any support received.