TODAY - December 4th 2016

After 11-year-old boy's sudden death, mom warns about food allergies

"The recent death of an 11-year-old boy is a tragic reminder that with food allergies, severe, life-threatening reactions don't always follow the familiar script: sometimes they take time to develop.

Merrill Debbs is convinced that her son, Oakley, might still be alive if she’d known more about food allergies and how fatal reactions can come on slowly and insidiously. The boy, who had asthma and had tested positive for a mild peanut and tree nut allergy, died after consuming a piece of pound cake the day before Thanksgiving. Oakley thought it was safe to eat, but there was a walnut inside and he'd already swallowed it before realizing what happened."