Goat's milk ice cream 'almost killed woman'

A County Tyrone woman who almost died after having an allergic reaction to an ice cream she ate on holiday is having to learn how to walk and talk again. Rachel Devine, 24, went into anaphylactic shock and suffered heart failure minutes after eating the ice cream, which contained goat's milk. She was in Turkey with her boyfriend when the incident happened in August.

Her father, Stephen Devine, said her life had been saved by the quick actions of her boyfriend and locals. Mr Devine said his daughter first realised she was allergic to goat's milk about two years ago and had taken an EpiPen with her on holiday. But he said she did not know it was an ingredient in the ice cream.

"With an allergic reaction to anything, the first thing to happen is the airways closing," he said. "But with the help of her boyfriend Chris and some local people they got her to the local hospital in the resort where she was staying."



Ms Devine was then transferred to a specialist unit in Izmir, 40 miles away. She was flown back to Northern Ireland 10 days later and was treated at Altnagelvin Hospital in Londonderry, before being moved to the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast. She is currently being treated at Musgrave Park Hospital.

"She is receiving intense speech and language therapy, also with physiotherapy she is learning to regain her mobility," Mr Devine said. "Rachel has asked for all the details of what happened, but her memory and her personality, everything remains intact, thank goodness.

"She is an extremely determined girl and wants to return to her job - she works for a law firm in Manchester where she studied. She had just been given a training contract to train as a solicitor the week before she left on holiday."