A Las Vegas jury has awarded $29.5 million to a family of a former model and actress who was left brain-damaged after she had an allergic reaction to eating a peanut butter pretzel.
The family of Chantel Giacalone was awarded the money on Friday after a jury in a civil lawsuit agreed a Nevada ambulance company was negligent when treating her in February 2013, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported.
The then-27-year-old was modeling clothes at Mandalay Bay South Convention Center when she bit into a small pretzel given to her by a friend, the outlet said. Unbeknownst to Giacalone, the small snack had peanut butter in it, and she went into anaphylactic shock.
The condition is a severe allergic reaction that can lead to a variety of symptoms, the most critical being a narrowing of airways that causes difficulty breathing, according to Mayo Clinic.
Patients are typically administered epinephrine, an adrenaline treatment, which is commonly used for severe asthma attacks. If the condition isn't treated immediately, it can be fatal, Mayo Clinic added.
Giacalone's lawyer, Christian Morris, who did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment, said the aspiring actress's brain went without oxygen for several minutes after seeking treatment from MedicWest Ambulance personnel, who were stationed at the convention center.
Morris argued that neither of the medics had intravenous epinephrine, which is required by the Southern Nevada Health District, according to the Associated Press. While the medics used intramuscular epinephrine, intravenous epinephrine is needed when a patient has already gone into shock.
William Drury, an attorney for MedicWest, did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment.
During the trial, MedicWest denied negligence and argued that Giacalone's death was inevitable due to the severity of her allergy to peanuts, the Review-Journal reported. The medics also testified that Giacalone continued breathing while in their care and they immediately called for advanced life support when she arrived at their location.
Today, Giacalone — who had parts in movies such as The Buttery Effect 3: Revelations and Hollow Walls — is quadriplegic and needs round-the-clock care provided to her by her parents, Jack and Deborah Giacalone. She can only communicate with her eyes.
"At least my daughter will be taken care of. I'm happy about that," Jack said after the jury's decision, according to the Review-Journal. "All the anguish that we've been through for the last eight years, I'm not happy about."
The couple intends to donate a portion of the money to organizations benefitting people with brain injuries. They also plan to purchase a new home with more space to help them care for their daughter.
"I don't want her to go anywhere else. I love her, and she loves me," Deborah said, the newspaper reported. "It's very hard to take care of her, but I would not have it any other way."
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