One of the most difficult things we will have to go through in life is losing a loved one when they die. It is especially difficult when they are young.
Nobody knows this better than the parents of Davis Allen Cripe and Lanna Hamann. Although they didn’t know each other, they have something in common that is heartbreaking. It’s the fact that they both died when they were only 16 years old.
Both Davis and Lanna died of sudden heart problems and doctors feel as if it is the result of energy drinks. More specifically, they think that they had too much caffeine as a result of drinking those energy drinks.
Lanna Hamann was only 16 years old and was both active and healthy. She lived in Arizona and after she died, it was a complete shock to everyone who knew her.
She had been visiting the beach with friends when she suddenly had difficulty breathing and collapsed. Although they got her to the clinic quickly, there was nothing that could be done to save her life.
Her mother was reflecting on her death that there was something that didn’t seem to make sense. The medical report claimed that she was dehydrated when she died. The thing is, she had been drinking energy drinks all day and just prior to collapsing, she had even finished a Red Bull.
In fact, a friend of hers admitted that she just loved her Red Bull.
According to Jack Wolfson, a cardiologist: “There is medical evidence that these things do harm, they can cause changes in the heart rhythm, and impact blood pressure.”
Even though doctors suspect that energy drinks can cause heart attacks, including those of young people, there is nothing that has been done about it.
Although there may be various aspects of energy drinks that carry some degree of danger, it is the high amount of caffeine that really makes them dangerous. According to the Food and Drug Administration, drinking about 5 cups of coffee a day is safe. That would give you about 400 mg of caffeine.
One energy drink, however, typically contains about as much caffeine as 4 cups of coffee!
Dr. Wolfson feels that energy drinks should be regulated. This could happen in the same way that alcohol is regulated so that teenagers are not able to access them legally.
Sean Cripe would also probably stand behind that decision. His son, Davis Cripe was also 16 years old when he died due to heart problems. Just as in the case of the young girl mentioned earlier, doctors feel that too much caffeine may have been to blame.
Lanna had been drinking energy drinks exclusively but Davis only had one energy drink. They feel that the problem was he also had a number of other caffeinated beverages within a short amount of time prior to having the energy drink.
After Davis collapsed, they tried to revive him but he died quickly. He was 16 years old and healthy without any prior health problems associated with his heart.
According to Gary Watts, the corner: “On this particular day within the two hours prior to his death, we know had consumed a large diet Mountain Dew, a cafe latte from McDonald’s and also some type of energy drink. It was so much caffeine at the time of his death that it caused his arrhythmia.”
A corner is not a medical doctor but he does think that drinking energy drinks with a lot of caffeine is not a good idea for anyone. He said: “These drinks can be very dangerous. I’m telling my friends and family don’t drink them.”
Some studies have shown that the high caffeine content and extreme acidity in energy drinks can lead to symptoms such as dehydration, high blood pressure, rapid heartbeat, cardiac arrhythmias, headache, seizure, insomnia, and death.
Davis’ father is now trying to help others by spreading the word and sharing the story of his son.
He said: “I stand before you as a brokenhearted father, and hope that something good can come from this.”