It took just one unassuming bite of chicken for Amy May Shead's life to change forever. In 2014, the former This Morning producer - who had suffered from a severe nut allergy all her life - was on holiday in Budapest.
Then 26, Shead had gone out to eat with some friends, and had even informed the restaurant of her nut allergy by showing them a card, written in Hungarian, that explained the severity of the deficiency. The restaurant assured Shead that she would be able to eat the chicken dish on their menu.
Just one bite, however, caused a catastrophic anaphylactic reaction and Amy immediately went into cardiac arrest. Despite the use of two EpiPens - which weren't enough to counter the effects of her allergic reaction - she was technically dead for six minutes before paramedics were able to revive her. She was later placed on life support in a Budapest hospital where she remained in a coma.
Credit: ITV/This Morning
After being in the hospital system for over 20 months, Shead, who is now 29, is now medically stable, but confined to a wheelchair, unable to walk or talk due to the damage sustained by her brain being starved of oxygen for six minutes.
In an emotional segment aired earlier today on the show she used to work for, Amy May Shead appeared with her parents, Sue and Roger, for a reunion with the hosts of the show, Ruth Langsford and her husband Eamonn Holmes. Both were very obviously moved by Shead's condition.
Shead's appearance on the show has already been called one of the most emotional segments ever seen on the program, and viewers flocked to social media to express their sadness at the heartbreaking story. Those sharing their sympathy included TV doctor Ranj Singh, who tweeted "I'm in tears watching the lovely Amy on @thismorning. #NutAllergy is such an important thing to highlight - thank you!"
In order to help cover the expense for their daughter's ongoing treatment, her parents have set up the Amy May Trust, but they are also campaigning to have nuts banned from flights as a precaution and preventative measure for those who suffer the same allergy as her daughter.
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What an inspiration.
Featured Image Credit: TwitterTopics: This Morning, ITV
