A NYU Langone doctor who died of a severe allergic reaction after eating at a Disney Springs restaurant was motivated to pursue a career in medicine because of his life-threatening condition, and also , religiously carried an EpiPen.
Kanokporn “Amy” Tansuan was so cautious about what she ate that she took pains to remind restaurant staff about her allergies every time she went out to eat, her grieving father told The Post in an exclusive interview. He spoke at
She visited the Raglan Road Irish Pub and Restaurant at the Walt Disney World Resort on Oct. 5, according to a wrongful death lawsuit her widow filed last week against Disney and the restaurant. ‘s visit was no exception.
According to court filings in Orange County, Florida, Tan Xuan, 42, repeatedly told waitstaff that he had a nut and dairy allergy. She then collapsed as she was walking around the resort after she ate scallops, onion rings, broccoli, and corn fritters at a restaurant.
Her cause of death was severe anaphylaxis due to “increased levels of dairy products and nuts in her body,” according to the lawsuit.
“I think the restaurant is to blame,” Amnuay Tanxuan, the late doctor’s 81-year-old father, said from his home in Bellerose, Queens.
“Even when we go to restaurants around here, I always tell the waiter that they don’t have dairy or nuts around her. I always want to make sure when I take her out.
“She always carried an EpiPen with her. All her life.”
Tan Xuan had been struggling with his symptoms ever since he first experienced a reaction as a child, his grieving father said.
This terrifying experience not only taught her how to live in the world more carefully, but also led her to a career in the medical field.
“She chose to become a doctor because she had an allergic reaction and said, ‘Okay, I need to be someone who knows how to treat it myself,'” Amnuai said.・Tan Xuan said.
The daughter of Thai immigrants, Tan Xuan grew up in Bellerose, attended high school in the Bronx, and then studied at Binghamton University.
She eventually accepted a position as a family medicine physician at New York University Langone on Long Island, but devoted her spare time to philanthropy.
“She wanted to help other people. She went to Thailand. There was a program where doctors here would go over there and help sick children,” said the elder Tan Xuan.
“We went on medical trips as a family. She went about six or seven times before COVID.”
Tangxuan and her husband, Jeffrey Piccolo, are avid travelers and had checked Disney World off their bucket list, Amnuay Tangxuan said.
She died the same day she arrived at the resort.
“I drove her to the airport that morning. That night, by 11 p.m., I got a call. I almost collapsed. I didn’t tell my wife until the next morning.” said Am Nuay Tan Xuan.
“My husband called me and I couldn’t understand what he was saying because he was crying, but the doctor answered the phone and told me. They said they couldn’t help her.”
He was immediately given an EpiPen, but he ultimately died at a local hospital, according to the complaint.
Amnuay Tanxuan said she was told that ambulances were slow to respond to her daughter’s medical emergency.
He said he was not involved in Piccolo’s case and was leaving it up to his son-in-law. The family is seeking damages in excess of $50,000.
A manager at the Raglan Road Irish Pub and Restaurant told the Post that staff had been trained to take food allergies “very seriously” before Mr Tan Xuan’s death, but that they were now unable to handle food allergies. He said he asks customers if there are any restrictions when receiving the service.
After Disney, Kanokporn Tansuan and her husband of six years planned to drive around the country together in the RV they had purchased. The car is still parked outside the couple’s Suffolk County home.
“She was my only child…(Amy) was very young. She is only 42 years old,” Amnuay Tan Xuan lamented.
“Nobody can get anything in this world. It comes and goes.”
Disney did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
