NYC Dancer, 25, Dead After Eating Mislabeled Cookies With Peanuts

NEW YORK CITY — A 25-year-old dancer who trained for years at the Ailey School of Dance in New York City died Jan. 11 after suffering an allergic reaction to a cookie.

Órla Baxendale joined a dance company in Connecticut after earning her stripes in Manhattan, according to NBC Connecticut. Baxendale reportedly went into anaphylactic shock at a social gathering in Connecticut after eating cookies purchased at Stew Leonard's.

"For someone to leave us so young and so soon at the height of career is a tragedy," Guillermo Asca, Orla Baxendale's dance instructor at the Ailey School of Dance, told ABC7. "She was vibrant, dynamic, kooky, someone who didn't take herself seriously but took work seriously."

Stew Leonard's claims that the manufacturer, Cookies United, changed the cookies' recipe to include peanuts without notifying them. However, Cookies United released its own statement in response on Tuesday, refuting this claim.

"Unfortunately, considering the tragedy of these circumstances, we need to point out that Stew Leonard’s was notified by Cookies United in July of 2023 that this product now contains peanuts and all products shipped to them have been labeled accordingly," Cookies United wrote.

The cookies are "sold under the Stew Leonard’s brand and repackaged at their facilities. The incorrect label was created by, and applied to, their product by Stew Leonard's," Cookies United continued.

In an updated press release shared Thursday, Stew Leonard's said that the product being recalled are Vanilla and Chocolate Florentine Cookies that were sold only at Stew Leonard’s in Danbury and Newington, Connecticut from Nov. 6 through Dec. 31.

"The cookies contain undeclared peanuts and eggs," the company said. "People with an allergy or severe sensitivity to peanuts or eggs run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume these products."

Stew Leonard's further stated that the company is "working with the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection and the supplier to determine the cause of the labeling error" and that customers who bought the cookies should return them for a full refund.

"Our hearts ache for the passing of Órla Baxendale due to eating a cookie containing peanuts," Sung Poblete, Ph.D., RN, the CEO of the Food Allergy Research and Education nonprofit, said in a statement Thursday. "Her death is a stark reminder of the fear and reality that the more than 33 million Americans with life-threatening food allergies face every day."

Poblete's statement continued, in part: "Her untimely passing on January 11 means that for her friends and family, they will never experience the awe and admiration of seeing Órla on stage again ... We stand in strong support of Órla’s family, and are determined to do everything possible to prevent future tragedies from happening whether that it is advocating for stronger food allergy training provisions at grocery stores and food manufacturers or funding food allergy research for new therapies and potentially a cure."