She has a severe peanut allergy went into anaphylactic shock on February 20, 2013 after she had ice cream as a snack. On top of that ice cream was a pretzel infused with peanut butter. As soon as she discovered the ingredient, she immediately spit the pretzel out, but it was too late. Chantel's throat was already closing up and the initial EpiPen shot she received did not help. She had a severe allergic reaction and sending her into cardiac arrest twice. At the time of the accident, she was working at a convention in Las Vegas and sent to a nearby hospital, where she would stay uninsured and on life support until April 2013 when her family rounded up enough donations, about $25,000, she was airlifted to Detroit. She was slowly taken off life support, but she has been in a vegetative state ever since.
In 2021, her family was awarded $29.5 million by a Las Vegas jury that ruled the emergency medical assistance provided in response to her allergic reaction was at fault for her condition as that the MedicWest Ambulance team on the scene was not equipped with IV epinephrine, which is mandated by the Southern Nevada Health District. The money is to be used for her 24 hour care.
