Influencer Dominique Brown, who cofounded Black Girl Disney, died tragically of an anaphylactic reaction after eating food at a BoxLunch event on Dec. 5. She was 34.
The deadly incident happened at Vibiana in Los Angeles, where members of the BoxLunch Collective were celebrating the holidays. A witness who attended the event said the staff assured Brown there were no peanuts or byproducts in the food.
But the food that Brown ate probably contained peanuts — unbeknown to the staff. Brown began to experience symptoms of anaphylactic shock. But before she could react, her throat swelled, cutting off her oxygen supply. She went into cardiac arrest and died.
In a statement to PEOPLE and Us Weekly, BoxLunch said: “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 Thursday in Los Angeles. 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.”
Brown’s brother, Patrick Ramos, thanked her supporters in the comments of Brown’s last Instagram post. “I wanted to take a moment to say thank you to her social media fam for showing her so much love and light,” he wrote. “Disney did bring her joy, but it was unparalleled that she found a community who loved her and Disney as much as she did. I will miss my sister and best friend and that infectious smile she always had.”
Brown is among 33 million Americans who have at least one food allergy, according to Food Allergy Research & Education.
Brown’s life could have been saved if someone had an EpiPen.
EpiPens are epinephrine auto-injectors that quickly reverse the symptoms of anaphylaxis. But the pens are expensive and most Good Samaritans in the public don’t know how to use them during a life-threatening emergency.
“As a community, we need to be informed and ready to act so that this doesn’t happen anymore. Or, if it does happen, so we are able to assist,” Food Allergy Research & Education said in a statement.
Unfortunately, EpiPens and epinephrine auto-injector alternatives are still too expensive. Low-cost alternatives aren’t available over the counter.
A 2-pack of EpiPen costs $600 while an EpiPen alternative at CVS costs $109.99.
