COWETA COUNTY, Ga. — A local family is in mourning after an allergic reaction to peanuts led to the death of a 12-year-old girl.
Amanda Huynh had been hospitalized before for allergic reactions to peanuts, but it's still surreal for her brother that she's gone.
"She meant a lot, to me, and I feel like she means a lot to the community," said her brother, Dillon Huynh.
The honor roll student at Lee Middle School in Coweta County was on her way home Tuesday on a school bus when she took a bite of a granola bar.
It was a snack that her family said she had eaten before.
"She would always check everything and make sure it was right," Dillon Huynh said.
But she started to feel sick and school officials were able to call 911 for an ambulance to take her to the hospital. In the meantime, she was rushed into a nearby school where school nurses were able to treat her with an EpiPen until an ambulance arrived.
Her brother shared pictures from her hospital bed where doctors told the family even if she woke up she would have permanent brain damage.
Amanda died Thursday and her family held her funeral on Sunday.
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The principal at Lee Middle School sent a letter to parents about how grief counselors will be at the school in the coming days.
Amanda Huynh’s brother said he hopes her story will educate others about food allergies.
"(I want people to) live with her in their hearts and really know how serious this is," he said.