College student has fatal reaction to brownie she got from friend

When Hannah Glass chose to have a homemade brownie, she had no idea that just days later, her parents would be receiving her cremated remains. The college student was always careful about her peanut allergy, but there was something hidden in that sweet treat that took her life after just two bites.

Hannah had just turned 19 two days earlier.

A community in Wisconsin is grieving the tragic loss of Hannah Glass, a bright and caring freshman at Maranatha Baptist University who sadly lost her life due to an unexpected allergic reaction to a brownie.

On November 5, the young woman, who had celebrated her 19th birthday only two days prior, experienced a severe reaction after eating a brownie given to her by a friend. The teenager was known to have a peanut allergy and usually took precautions, but she didn’t know that the delicious treat contained roasted peanut flour, which is often used as a gluten-free substitute.

“The second bite, she realized something was wrong,” Hannah’s father, David Glass, shared with WISN. He explained that her friend had brought the brownie from a women’s group on campus, and while it was made with peanut flour to help gluten-free students, it didn’t take into account those with serious peanut allergies.

“We think that because this product had roasted peanut flour, separate from oily peanut butter, it hid the danger,” David added, who, along with Hannah’s mother, Janean, hurried about 45 minutes from their home in Milton, Wisconsin, to the school residence in Watertown.

‘Right lung collapsed’

Hannah reacted very strongly and quickly. Her dad mentioned that she had thrown up, developed hives, and found some relief after taking Benadryl.

However, when she climbed up to her top bunk to rest, her situation changed a lot.

“When Hannah turned on her side, the anaphylaxis reaction that we had never seen before hit her really hard. This made her struggle to breathe, which caused her lung to collapse, making things worse,” her sad dad wrote in a Facebook post he shared on November 11.

That was when Hannah came down the ladder from her bed and lost consciousness “part way down” – before she could use her EpiPen.

“I picked Hannah up…and took her outside to wait for the ambulance to come,” her father wrote. “She was completely unresponsive, and I felt so helpless.”

Paramedics got there and worked really hard to bring her back, but Hannah’s heart had stopped for four minutes. She was quickly taken to Watertown Hospital, then moved to Froedtert Hospital, where she was put on a ventilator.

Brain ‘terminally damaged’

Her family watched in despair as doctors tried to save her life, but the damage was really bad.

“Most of her brain was clearly, seriously, critically, and without life-support measures, TERMINALLY damaged,” David wrote on Facebook about the brain damage she suffered after having several seizures, which caused “severe brain swelling.”

“There were no talks about quality of life or anything like that. It was just about life and death!”

Even with the hard work of the medical team, Hannah’s brain was critically damaged, leaving no hope for her recovery.

‘Endless walk’

Before Hannah said her final goodbye on November 10, 2024, she was honored with a special ceremony called an “Honor Walk.” This was a heartfelt tribute as she was taken to the operating room for organ donation.

Around 300 people stood along the hallway to watch the walk, with her family beside her until their “final goodbye.”

“It felt like the walk would never end, but at the same time, it was going by too fast,” David shared.

‘Good to have her home’

“We went to get Hannah’s cremated remains. It was a strange mix of feelings. I still can’t believe it’s real,” David wrote in a Facebook post on November 22, 2024. “Having this physical reminder of her life is nice because we can see and hold onto something, but it’s also really sad because it’s not the same as before. Still, it’s good to have her home.”

Now, her parents are reminding everyone with food allergies to “Always be aware. Make sure your EpiPens are up to date,” David said.

Hannah’s organs have already saved four people who really needed lifesaving transplants.

Hannah Glass’s story is a touching reminder of how delicate life can be and how important it is to be aware of food allergies. Her memory continues to live on through the lives she saved and in the hearts of those who loved her.