A 22-year-old “kind-hearted” Rhode Island college graduate died after consuming a snack contaminated with a common allergen — just days after he received his diploma.
Timothy Howard, a communication studies student from the University of Rhode Island, died on May 24 after having a severe allergic reaction to peanuts, his mother, Patty Howard, shared in an emotional Facebook post.
“It is with heavy hearts we share the loss of our son Timmy to a severe anaphylactic reaction to peanuts,” she wrote. “We just celebrated his college graduation and he had his whole life ahead of him. Our hearts are broken and we now have joined a club no one wants to be apart (sic) of.”
The heartbroken mother added that she’s taking the aftermath of the shocking incident “one day at a time.”
“It is not goodbye forever it is until we meet again!” she added. “We will always love our Timmy.”
Howard earned his degree from the University of Rhode Island on May 16.
Howard’s father, Tim, claimed the severe anaphylactic reaction happened when the post-grad ate a late-night snack that was contaminated with peanuts, according to WJAR.
“He came in and woke us up, and said that he couldn’t breathe, and at that point, it unfolded very quickly over a matter of minutes,” his father told WJAR. “And we administered multiple EpiPens. The reaction was too far gone.”
His parents are unsure about how much of the contaminated snack he consumed.
Howard’s frat brothers at Phi Kappa Psi have started a fundraiser for FARE, the Food Allergy Research and Education organization, to “Prevent other families from facing similar tragedies.”
“Timmy was just beginning what promised to be a remarkable journey in life,” the fundraiser page set up by his fraternity claimed. “He was driven, kind, and deeply loved by family, friends, and everyone who had the joy of knowing him. He had so much ahead of him, and he approached life with a rare kind of kindness and light. He was the person you could always count on to listen—really listen.”
The fundraiser surpassed its goal of $25,000.
Howard, who grew up in Southborough, Mass., was remembered as a “genuinely kind-hearted, humble, loving and empathetic soul” who had a “passion for sports.”
“He had a love of life and especially loved hanging out with his close high school friends and cousins and his Phi Kappa Psi frat brothers at URI,” his obituary stated. “Timmy deeply cherished growing up on a cul-de-sac with his “Foley Crew” of buds who have remained his brothers throughout his life.”
A memorial service happened on May 30 in Brewster, Mass.
Howard is survived by his parents, sister, grandmother, and extended family.
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