Conference Dedicated to Daniel Sargent

The Washington FEAST food allergy conference "Living well with food allergies at all ages and stages" is dedicated to the memory of Daniel Sargent, a sports writer who worked for the Everett Herald and who died in July of 2008 from anaphylaxis caused by an accidental peanut exposure.
His fatal reaction occurred one Sunday afternoon while Daniel was celebrating a friend’s 30th birthday at Magnuson Park in Seattle. Witnesses say that ninety seconds after he took a bite from a chocolate chip cookie, he collapsed. Epinephrine was not on hand, but a nurse, medic, and pulmonologist who happened to be attending the party administered CPR until emergency help arrived.
Daniel was rushed to Harborview Medical Center, where doctors tried for two days to save him from complications wrought by the severe reaction, which had blocked his breathing and deprived his brain of oxygen. Daniel died at the age of 30 from the peanut allergy his family learned about when he was 3 months old.
An article published by the Everett Herald on July 4, 2008 (“Man’s death a stark reminder of food allergy risks” by Sharon Salver), reported that the family had kept an EpiPen, a device for self-injecting epinephrine to provide temporary relief from the symptoms of a severe allergic reaction, at their home. But as an adult, Daniel had decided not to carry an EpiPen at all times. Instead, Daniel tried to be vigilant about what he ate and kept an over-the-counter allergy medicine close at hand. As his father is quoted in the Herald article, “This time, [the allergic reaction] just came too fast, to quick, and too deadly.”
Daniel grew up near Everett and graduated from Snohomish High School in 1996. He worked as a sports writer for the Everett Herald and as a medical assistant for Skagit Valley Medical Center in Mount Vernon. His life-long love of soccer lead to volunteering with Snohomish County Youth Soccer for over a decade. He also coached, played , and refer¬eed indoor soccer.
His driver’s license indicated that he wished to be an organ donor, and his sister reported in the Herald article that his heart had been used in a transplant surgery at the University of Washington and that his liver, kidneys, and corneas would also be donated.
Lacey Boek, a lifelong friend of Daniel’s, wrote the following in July 3, 2008; she posted it on a memorial blog for Daniel at http://rememberingdansargent.blogspot.com/.
Daniel Sargent is . . . a loyal friend who would do anything for those around him. He has a huge heart that has touched the lives of many. It is in his death that he will continue to help people and give back. Daniel is an organ donor with very healthy organs to donate. . . . We will remember him with fond memories forever. It is my hope that we can all take something away from this tragic story.