After New York Doctor Died At Disney World, Family Ponders ‘Cruel Irony’ Of Her Passing

Last week, the family of New York doctor Kanokporn Tangsuan filed a lawsuit against Walt Disney World, claiming that she died after having an allergic reaction to the food she was served at Raglan Road Irish Pub and Restaurant at Disney Springs.

Related: Doctor Dies After Eating At Disney World Restaurant, Her Family Alleges in New Lawsuit

In the lawsuit, her husband, Jeffrey Piccolo, claims that while they were out to dinner with his mother, Jackie Piccolo, they asked extensive questions about the menu and food preparation, as Tangsuan suffers from a dairy and nut allergy.

The waiter even went so far as to ask the chef whether certain foods could be made allergen-free, and the group was assured that “allergen-free food would be served.”

Tangsuan ordered vegan shepherd’s pie, onion rings, corn fritters, and scallops, but the lawsuit noted that none of the plates had food labels that would have made the servers aware of the allergens at the table.

After eating, Tangsuan and her mother-in-law went shopping at Disney Springs while her husband returned to the hotel. Less than an hour later, the pair separated, and Tangsuan went to Planet Hollywood. It was there that she suffered a “severe acute allergic reaction from the food served at Raglan Road.”

Tangsaun was able to administer herself epinephrine, but she was still having a severe reaction, and cast members called 911. When emergency services arrived, they were able to get her to the hospital; however, she was pronounced dead when she arrived.

But now, Kanakporn “Amy” Tangsuan’s family is speaking out about the 42-year-old’s death. The doctor at NYU Langone Hospital in New York was the daughter of Thai immigrants and only decided to become a doctor after she learned of her severe allergies.

Her father, Amnuay Tangsuan, told the New York Post that it was “cruel irony” that she would die from an allergic reaction after becoming a doctor to learn how to treat herself. He also said that she was cautious when ordering at restaurants.

Her father said: 

I think the restaurant is responsible. Even when we go to restaurants around here, we make sure to tell the waiters that they don’t have dairy or nuts around her. I always want to make sure every time we take her out. She always carried an EpiPen on her. All her life.

Tangsuan’s cause of death was “as a result of anaphylaxis due to elevated levels of dairy and nut in her system.” The family seeks damages “in excess of $50,000.00 plus costs, post-judgment interest, and further demands trial by jury on all issues so triable.”

Neither the restaurant at Disney Springs nor the Walt Disney World Resort commented on the lawsuit. No trial date has been set.

We will continue to update this story at Disney Fanatic.