A boy from Piscataway, New Jersey, was reported dead on New Year’s Day after he had what appeared to be an allergic reaction, authorities confirm to PEOPLE.
As of Monday afternoon, New York City’s Chief Medical Examiner had yet to determine 11-year-old Cameron Jean-Pierre’s cause and manner of death, a rep from the office tells PEOPLE.
The boy — who was allergic to fish and had asthma — attended his grandmother’s holiday celebration with his father, Steven Jean-Pierre, in the Canarsie neighborhood of Brooklyn on Tuesday,a local ABC affiliate, Eyewitness News 7, reports.
Cameron Jean-Pierre.GoFundMe
An NYPD spokesperson tells PEOPLE that the boy showed signs of an allergic reaction. He lost consciousness, and his father tried to administer CPR and treat him with a nebulizer, Eyewitness News 7 reports. About 15 minutes later his family called 911.
When emergency medical technicians showed up at the scene, Cameron, who was a sixth grader at Theodore Schor Middle School, was unconscious and they rushed him to Brookdale Hospital. He was pronounced dead shortly after arrival, the NYPD spokesperson says.
Reps from the New York City Fire Department, which manages Emergency Medical Services, did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment regarding the child’s symptoms when they arrived.
Pottingr explained to Eyewitness News 7 that her son always had a nebulizer with him. His father added that Cameron’s allergic reaction initially did not appear abnormal — and that he only realized something was wrong when the device failed to improve the child’s breathing.
Jean-Pierre continued: “My son’s last words were ‘Daddy I love you, daddy I love you’ … He gave me two kisses … on my face. He said, ‘I feel like I’m dying.’ I said, ‘Don’t say that. What are you talking about? Don’t say that.’ ”
At this point in the investigation, authorities do not suspect any criminality, the NYPD spokesperson says.
The American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunologyadvises people with fish allergies to avoid areas where fish is being cookedbecause proteins may be released into the air.
The paper added that the official autopsy results might not be ready for weeks.
On Thursday, the Jean-Pierre family set up aGoFundMe to cover funeral costs. It raised $9,000 in just four days — well past the $5,000 goal.
source: people.com
