The star athlete eats Thanksgiving cake, and hours later, he’s dead in his dad’s arms.

It was Thanksgiving in Maine, and Oakley Debbs, then 11, was on vacation with his family. The Florida student from West Palm Beach got all A’s in school and was also a great athlete, even though she had asthma and food allergies.

His family had ordered a Thanksgiving basket for the holiday, and Oakley chose to eat a piece of cake from the treats that were already there.

What happened next was heartbreaking, and it made his family and friends start a campaign to help raise awareness and stop other people from going through the same thing.

Oakley liked tennis, football, soccer, and running marathons, even though she had asthma and nut allergies. People in his family called him a “brave and strong warrior” for fighting these illnesses.

At their Maine home on November 24, Oakley chose to eat a piece of the pound cake that had been left out on the kitchen table. Oakley’s mom, Merrill Debbs, said he always read the labels before he ate something and didn’t see any nuts.

flyer poster
His dad, Robert Debbs, said, “He thought it was easy.” “But after he ate it, he came over and said it might have nuts.” It turned out to be walnut after his mother tried some and agreed that it tasted like nuts.

Robert said, “Merrill did what we always do; she gave him Benadryl pills.” “He told me he felt fine when he got back.” One hive on his lip was the only sign he was sick at that point.

But soon after, Oakley said his chest hurt, and then he started throwing up. He was blue when the ambulance got there 10 minutes after his parents called 911. Oakley’s heart had stopped beating and his waves had stopped.

Olivia Debbs, Oakley’s twin sister, and Robert J. Debbs Merrill Debbs asked me to write this letter. I have a heavy heart when I…

On Saturday, November 26, 2016, Tyler Debbs Squire wrote this.

The family then had to deal with the terrible loss and figure out why Oakley couldn’t be saved.

“I don’t think my wonderful, talented, adorable, and beautiful son should have died,” Merrill said.

The family started the Red Sneaker Foundation to teach people how to spot the signs of anaphylaxis, an allergic reaction that affects many organs at once and can be fatal.

Oakley loved his red sneakers, so his family decided to use them as a strong symbol to get more people in communities to learn about and understand food allergies.

On Thursday, December 1, 2016, Red Sneakers For Oakley wrote:

Experts say that the drug epinephrine should be used right away, even if the allergic reaction symptoms are mild.

Merrill said, “My child was a rock star and a good, good kid.” And deep down, I always knew that he would change his life. I just didn’t know that it would happen after he died. So the legacy of Oakley is a big part of what drives me.

Please share this story to make more people aware of how dangerous food allergies can be and what we can do to make sure this doesn’t happen again.