What would’ve been a loving memory turned into a tragedy. Jess Prinsloo , a 24-year-old woman, recently passed away just a couple of days after she had accepted to marry her boyfriend, Craig McKinnon.
They Were Visiting Her Family
Prinsloo and McKinnon were vacationing in South Africa, visiting her family. She loved being there but hadn’t visited for six years, so her boyfriend thought it would be the perfect setup to propose to her; they started dating in 2019 and moved in together in 2021.
It Was The Perfect Proposal
They were in the God’s Window, a famous local sightseeing spot in Mpumalanga, on December 27th when Craig asked Jess to marry him. She said yes and shared the news on her social media. Everyone was excited about the couple after sharing their recent engagement pictures, and they celebrated with Jess’ family.
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She Went Into Anaphylactic Shock
However, three days after, Jess died due to her extreme dairy allergy. Apparently, she used the wrong spoon to stir her tea while they were at her mom’s house, and this caused her an anaphylactic shock, meaning her throat started to close up, and she couldn’t breathe. The spoon had milk on it.
The EpiPen Didn’t Work
She was rushed to the hospital because her EpiPen wasn’t getting the necessary effect; Craig stated that he was woken up by Jess’ brother telling him she wasn’t okay. “Jess was sitting on the toilet lid, really struggling to breathe. She had used an EpiPen, but it wasn’t having the effect it normally has,” he added.
Jess’ Condition Was Critical
They tried to help her, and she was in critical condition, but she passed away the day after, on New Year’s Eve. This wasn’t Jess’ first allergic reaction; when she was 18 years old, she had to be resuscitated after eating curry with dairy. She and Craig were aware of her severe allergies, so she always carried her EpiPens and antihistamines.
She Had This Allergy Since She Was Nine Months Old
Meanwhile, McKinnon stopped eating dairy to avoid getting her health in danger; he said it wasn’t worth the risk. He also remembered one time she had to use her EpiPen after they ordered a vegan dessert that wasn’t supposed to have dairy.
Craig Is Devastated
After the accident, Craig shared on his social media a message for his fianceé, “I am devastated, and feeling pain like I’ve never felt before, but anyone that spent time in her company knows what I mean when I say I have been blessed to call her my fiancée [for] the greatest three days of my life.”
She Was Very Loved
McKinnon also said he wouldn’t trade his time with Jess for sixty years with another person. At the same time, her family and friends posted, “Jess was an impeccable daughter, sister, niece, friend and most recently Fiancé. She lit up every room she walked into and touched the lives of everyone she met.”
Jess Will Be Missed
Craig returned to the UK with her ashes and had a funeral on January 6th. Jess’s family and friends set up a GoFundMe to help Craig with the medical bills since the costs were over R5000 ($292). They stated they would miss her, but her memory will remain in their hearts.
