When Hannah Glass decided to eat a homemade brownie, she hadn’t known that days later, her parents would be picking up her cremated remains. The college student had always been cautious about her peanut allergy but there was something hidden in the sweet treat that killed her after only two bites.
Glass had turned 19 only two days before.
A community in Wisconsin is grieving the tragic loss of Hannah Glass, a kind and bright freshman at Maranatha Baptist University, who sadly passed away after an unexpected allergic reaction to a brownie.
On November 5, just two days after her 19th birthday, she had a severe reaction to a brownie given to her by a friend. Hannah had a known peanut allergy and was usually very careful, but she didn’t know that the delicious treat had roasted peanut flour in it, which is often used as a gluten-free substitute.
“The second bite, she knew something was wrong,” said Hannah’s dad, David Glass, in an interview with WISN. He explained that her friend had brought the brownie from a women’s group on campus, and while it was made with peanut flour for gluten-free students, it didn’t take into account those with serious peanut allergies.
“We think that because this product had roasted peanut flour, which is different from regular peanut butter, it hid the danger,” David added. He and Hannah’s mom, Janean, hurried about 45 minutes from their home in Milton, Wisconsin, to the school residence in Watertown.
Hannah reacted very strongly and quickly. Her dad mentioned that she had thrown up, developed hives, and found some relief after taking Benadryl.
However, when she climbed up to her top bunk to rest, her situation changed a lot.
“When Hannah turned onto her side, the anaphylaxis reaction that we had never seen before hit her really hard. This made her struggle to breathe, which led to her lung collapsing and made things worse,” her sad dad wrote in a Facebook post he shared on November 11.
That was when Hannah came down the ladder from her bed and lost consciousness “part way down” – before she could get her EpiPen.
“I picked Hannah up…and carried her outside to wait for the ambulance to come,” her dad wrote. “She was totally unresponsive, and I felt so helpless.”
The paramedics got there and worked really hard to bring her back, but Hannah’s heart had stopped for four minutes. She was quickly taken to Watertown Hospital, and then moved to Froedtert Hospital, where she was put on a ventilator.
Her family stood by, feeling powerless as doctors tried to save her life, but the injuries were too serious.
“Most of her brain was clearly, seriously, critically, and without life support, TERMINALLY damaged,” David shared on Facebook about the brain injuries she suffered after having multiple seizures, which caused “severe brain swelling.”
“There were no talks about quality of life or anything like that. It was just about life and death!”
Even with the hard work of the medical team, Hannah’s brain was critically harmed, leaving no chance for recovery.
Before Hannah said her final goodbye on November 10, 2024, she was honored with a traditional “Honor Walk,” a heartfelt tribute as she was taken to the operating room for organ donation.
Around 300 people stood along the hallway for the walk, with her family beside her until their “final goodbye.”
“It seemed like an endless walk, yet it was also going too quickly,” David shared.
“We went to get Hannah’s cremated remains. It feels really strange and brings up a lot of emotions. I still can’t believe it,” David shared in a Facebook post on November 22, 2024. “Having this physical reminder of her life is nice because we can see and hold onto something, but it’s also really sad since it’s not the same as our relationship before. Still, it’s comforting to have her back home.”
Now, her parents are reminding everyone with food allergies to “Always be careful. Make sure your EpiPens are current,” David mentioned.
Hannah’s organs have already helped save four people who needed transplants to survive.
Hannah Glass’s story is a touching reminder of how delicate life is and why food allergy awareness is so important. Her memory continues to live on through the lives she saved and in the hearts of those who loved her.
