3-year-old with ‘documented’ dairy allergy dies after school allegedly gave him grilled cheese

A three-year-old boy with a dairy allergy is dead after he was allegedly given a grilled cheese sandwich at a federally-funded pre-kindergarten school in Harlem.

Authorities are trying to determine whether his death was connected to his health condition.

WATCH: Research suggest introducing children to allergy trigger foods early

Elijah Silvera was in class at the Seventh Avenue Center for Family Services on Nov. 3, when an adult allegedly gave him the sandwich, despite the boy having a “documented” dairy allergy, WPIX reported.

Silvera went into anaphylactic shock after he ate the sandwich, and was taken to hospital where he later died, according to a GoFundMe page whose details were confirmed by ABC7.

WPIX reported that a family member said school officials called Silvera’s mother about the incident, and that the mother — not an ambulance — was the one who took him to hospital.

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Silvera is survived by his mother Dina, his father Thomas and his brother Sebastian, according to the GoFundMe page.

“Our family is immersed in our grief, but we are also facing an overwhelming list of financial and practical matters,” the page read.

The GoFundMe had surpassed its goal of $18,000 as of Wednesday night; it said the money would go toward cooked meals for Silvera’s family, financial support for time taken off work and funeral expenses.

READ MORE: ‘It was terrifying’: ER visits for anaphylaxis up 95% in 7 years

The money was also committed to the cost of a “second and independent autopsy,” because it’s “unclear where responsibility for Elijah’s death will fall between the pre-K and the hospital itself,” the page said.

A statement from the New York City Health Department (DOHMH), reported by WPIX, said, “There is nothing more important than the safety of our children and we are deeply saddened by this tragedy. We will get to the bottom of what happened here.

“In the meantime, we’re closing the Center for Family Services and continuing to aggressively investigate what happened and whether the facility could have done something differently to prevent this tragedy.”

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the Administration for Children’s Services (ACS) said, “Following this tragedy, ACS and DOHMH are actively investigating all aspects of this program. The program is being closely monitored and we will promptly take appropriate action as needed.”