A gluten-allergic backpacker has been filmed sobbing in an airplane bathroom after a “cake mix-up” left her battling illness and diarrhea during a 15-hour flight.
Chloë Chapdelaine has celiac disease, so she ordered a gluten-free meal on board to eat while flying from Dubai to Los Angeles on June 5.
The 25-year-old content creator was served what appeared to be a delicious gluten-free continental breakfast on a tray labeled “gluten-free” an hour after the flight.
But after demolishing half of the plain croissant, which did not have a gluten-free sticker, Ms. Chapdelaine thought it tasted “too good” to be gluten-free and decided to check with a hostess.
An ashen-faced flight attendant returned from checking with staff to confirm that it was not gluten-free, according to Ms Chapdelaine.
Chloë Chapdelaine has celiac disease, so she ordered a gluten-free meal on board to eat while flying from Dubai to Los Angeles on Monday.
The 25-year-old content creator was delighted when she was served what appeared to be a delicious gluten-free continental breakfast, served on a tray labeled “gluten-free” an hour after the flight.
But after demolishing half of the plain croissant, which did not have a gluten-free sticker, Ms. Chapdelaine thought it tasted “too good” to be gluten-free and decided to check with a hostess. She later filmed herself in the bathroom describing her symptoms.
Images dubbed “worst flight of my life” show the tearful traveler inside the plane’s bathroom explaining what happened while trying to get sick.
After spending an hour vomiting, Ms Chapdelaine said she spent the rest of the flight feeling nauseated, stomach cramps and diarrhea.
She also claims that she suffered from itchy skin and will have to deal with the “mental repercussions” of what happened for two weeks, including mental confusion and depression.
Celiac disease is a condition in which your immune system attacks its own tissues when you eat gluten, according to the NHS. This damages your intestine (small intestine) so your body cannot properly absorb nutrients.
It affects one in 100 people and is caused by an adverse reaction to wheat, barley and rye.
Ms Chapdelaine, from Calgary, Alberta, Canada, said: ‘While I was eating one of the croissants that was on the tray, I had a bad feeling.
It tasted so good and I have never tasted such a good gluten free croissant before.
“Then I asked why they would have such a great gluten-free brand on a flight and that’s when I questioned if it was actually gluten-free for a flight attendant.
Ms Chapdelaine said the flight attendant “turned pale” and upon checking told her it was not meant to be on her plate and was not gluten free.
“I immediately went into shock and started to panic,” the content creator added.
“I am very sensitive and my celiac disease will react to a small amount or cross contamination.”
Finding out she had eaten half a gluten-free croissant, a much larger amount than she had reacted to in the past, was “really scary.”
After spending an hour vomiting, Ms Chapdelaine said she spent the rest of the flight feeling nauseated with stomach cramps and diarrhea.
Images dubbed “worst flight of my life” show the tearful traveler inside the plane’s bathroom explaining what happened while trying to get sick.
Ms. Chapdelaine was not upset that she had broken her gluten-free diet, but rather feared she would experience symptoms for weeks.
“It was a moment of panic,” he added. “I went to the bathroom and got physically sick and was in there for about an hour throwing up, which was horrible.
“I knew that if I didn’t do this, my body would take a lot more damage.”
She said she could feel the other symptoms starting right away, like severe stomach cramps, diarrhea, nausea, and itchy skin, like when you eat gluten, you get hives or a skin rash.
“I have to deal with mental effects like brain fog or I’ll be depressed for the next two weeks,” Ms Chapdelaine added.
Following her allergic reaction, she shared a clip on Tiktok to show how serious the effects eating gluten can have on her can be.
Ms Chapdelaine said she had been gluten-free for almost nine years since she was diagnosed with celiac disease and this was not the first time she had had problems on a flight.
“For me, this is not the first time I have been exposed to gluten on an airplane,” he said.
“Luckily, last time I realized it before I ate it, but if I hadn’t, I would have eaten it and the same thing would have happened. It’s not a one time thing and also half the flights I’ve taken, I travel all the time, gluten free meals are forgotten.
She said people are quick to wonder why people with celiac disease don’t bring their own food on a flight, but that’s not always possible, since when you’re traveling and in a hotel room you don’t have access to a kitchen. In addition to this, she said that part of the border security does not allow her to bring food across the border, such as meat, dairy, seeds or nuts.
The Canadian said that airlines should take allergies and intolerances on flights more seriously and believes that if she had a nut allergy, the situation would have been different.
She said: ‘I feel like celiac disease isn’t taken so seriously [as nut allergies] sometimes.
Ms Chapdelaine, from Calgary, Alberta, Canada, said: “While I was eating one of the croissants on the tray, I had a bad feeling.”
Ms Chapdelaine also claims she suffered from itchy skin and will have to deal with the “mental repercussions” of what happened over two weeks, including mental confusion and depression.
“I feel that people with food allergies or sensitivities deserve to live safely and be taken seriously in their medical condition and that is not always the case.
“I just hope airlines take allergies or just medical conditions seriously when it comes to serving people food on planes because it can have long-lasting effects for a lot of people.”
Ms Chapdelaine said Emirates flight attendants were sympathetic to her, but after filing a formal complaint, she has yet to hear from the airline.
An Emirates spokesperson said: “We are disappointed to hear Ms Chapdelaine’s complaint. Emirates aims to meet all the specific needs of passengers by offering a series of special meals that cover as many medical, dietary and religious requirements as possible.
‘The safety and health of our customers are taken very seriously. Ms. Chapdelaine contacted our Customer Service team and we are looking into the issue.’
I am Rakesh Sharma, I associated with Elite News as an Editor, since 2021. I take care of all the news operations like content, budget, hiring and policy making.