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10th June 2023
10:51am BST
An influencer has described a 15-hour flight as being the "worst" of her life, after a pastry "mix up" left her running for the bathroom.
Chloë Chapdelaine was on a 15-hour flight from Dubai to Los Angeles on Monday when the drama unfolded.
The 25-year-old, who has celiac disease, said she made sure she selected gluten-free meal options before boarding the Emirates flight.
The Canadian content creator said that after eating half a plain croissant she was informed it contained gluten, a substance she hasn't eaten in nine years.
Naturally, she made a TikTok from the bathroom, explaining what happened next.
Fighting back tears in the restroom, Chapdelaine laments: "I do feel like celiac disease is not taken as seriously [as nut allergies] at times.
"I do feel that people with food allergies or sensitivities deserve to exist safely and be taken seriously in their medical condition and that’s not always the case.
The clip — which was viewed more than 1.8 million times — also included footage of the incriminating croissant.
“I am very highly sensitive and my celiac disease will react to a trace amount or cross-contamination,” Calgary-based Chapdelaine further explained in an interview with Kennedy News on Friday.
She said being told she had eaten so much gluten was "really scary for me" and explained that she felt the effects of it almost immediately.
Chapdelaine forced herself to throw up and says she spent about an hour doing it, "which was horrible". And then came the diarrhoea, nausea, stomach cramps and itching skin.
She estimated it will take her about two weeks to fully recover from the brain fog and the depression that eating the gluten has caused.
Chapdelaine said Emirates flight attendants were sympathetic, but she had filed a formal complaint.
A Emirates spokesperson said in a statement: "We are disappointed to hear Ms. Chapdelaine’s complaint. Emirates tries to cater to all passenger-specific needs by offering a number of special meals that cover as many medical, dietary and religious requirements as possible.
"The safety and health of our customers is taken very seriously. Ms. Chapdelaine has reached out to our Customer Affairs team, and we are investigating the issue."
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