Beekeeper’s deadly allergy
ONE of Britain’s youngest bee-keepers is lucky to be alive after being stung three times - and finding he could not breathe.
Gregor Tubb, 12, developed a severe allergic reaction, causing his mouth and throat to swell up.
As he slipped in and out of consciousness, his father, Gerard, raced him to York Hospital, where his life was saved by adrenaline injections.
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Now Gregor, of Easingwold, who has been a registered keeper since he was nine years old, has been banned from going near bees again, as one more single sting could kill him. And he must carry an adrenaline injection with him for the rest of his life.
The Easingwold School pupil, who was registered with the York District Beekeepers’ Association at nine and has carried out a scientific study of the creatures, had been stung a number of times previously with no reaction except once, when his hand swelled badly.
But early one evening three weeks ago, he went to take some combs out of the hive when the air was heavy and humid before a storm - which had made the bees angry - and he was stung three times.
He said one bee stung him through his sock on his ankle, another on his leg through his trousers and another on his shoulder, having crawled up his sleeve.
“The first thing I noticed was my eyes hurt because the skin near my eyes was swelling,” he said. “I called to my dad, but it got worse really quickly.
“The next thing was my eyes were so swelled that I couldn’t see. By then I was really frightened.
“I felt it going down my face and I was thinking, please, please don’t get to my mouth and throat’ but it did and it was nearly impossible to breathe. I could just get the odd gasp.
“I know there was all this shouting around me, but to me each shout was like a whisper.”
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Gerard, who works for Sky TV, drove him to the hospital in record time with Gregor’s mum, Judith, and sister, Georgina, 14, by his side.
Judith said: “He was coming in and out of consciousness. He would keep nodding off. I wouldn’t have believed your head could swell up that much. It was terrifying.”
On arrival, he was immediately injected with adrenaline and given oxygen.
After about an hour, his symptoms lessened and he was transferred to a children’s ward where he was kept over night and most of the next day.
He has now been diagnosed as having anaphylaxis, which means he is susceptible to life threatening allergic reactions.
As well as having to carry an adrenaline injection with him for the rest of his life, he must stay by his teacher’s side on school trips at all times while his mates run on ahead.
Greg became interested in bees at a science project and attended a nine-week course on bee-keeping. He has sold bees and honey at local fairs and shows and is desperate to continue his interest in bees.
“Nothing else is as good as beekeeping. I keep trying to find ways to work with bees, but I’m just totally banned. I’m gutted.
“I can still read about them and go to talks about them. I went to the Yorkshire Show and the man at the bee tent couldn’t believe I knew so much. But I miss them a lot.”
He said he was hoping to be able to go on a desensitisation course to reduce his allergy to bee stings, but this could take several years.