A professional ballet dancer from Manchester with a severe peanut allergy has sadly died after eating a mislabelled cookie in the US.
Órla Baxendale lost her life after after suffering severe anaphylactic shock while at a social gathering in Connecticut on 11 January.
The anaphylactic shock came after she had a severe allergic reaction to a vanilla florentine cookie.
The 25-year-old – who was said to have been born and raised in Manchester, and then lived in Helmshore in East Lancashire, before moving to New York in 2018 as a scholarship student to eventually pursue her professional career in dance – had a severe peanut allergy, but the cookie she consumed at the social gathering had no mention of peanut on the ingredient list.
The cookie – which was purchased as part of a pack from US supermarket, Stew Leonard’s – was, in fact, found to have contained peanuts, despite the fact nuts were not mentioned as part of the recipe on its packaging, state health officials said.
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Manchester ballet dancer with severe peanut allergy dies after eating mislabelled cookie in US / Credit: Órla Baxendale (via Instagram)
Stew Leonard Jr, who is the president and chief executive of the retailer, said in a statement issued earlier this week, that the company‘s supplier, Cookies United, made the change from using soy nuts to peanuts in the recipe, without notifying their chief safety officer – however, Cookies United has disputed this, and claimed it informed Stew Leonard’s of the change back in July 2023.
Cookies United said Stew Leonard’s knew the product contained peanuts, and that all products shipped to the supermarket had been labelled accordingly.
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The supplier said the incorrect label was created by Stew Leonard’s.
Since the news of Órla’s tragic death was announced, tributes to the talented dancer have been pouring in from across the world of arts and entertainment.
The 25-year-old’s family, and former dance schools – the prestigious Elmhurst Ballet School in Birmingham, and the world-renowned The Ailey School in New York – as well as her current professional company, MOMIX, are among those to share their memories.
Órla’s family said in a tribute statement to her: “Órla was truly one of a kind.
“She was a beautiful, radiant, brave soul who always believed she would achieve her biggest dreams – and that’s exactly what she did. She danced her way across the world and lived life to the fullest every day.
“We will never recover from the pain of having her taken from us so soon, in the prime of her life. But we are also so proud to call her our daughter and sister, and to have had the privilege of sharing 25 years with such an incredibly special person.
“It is incomprehensible that allergies can take lives in 2024, and we want to urge everyone to educate yourselves and those around you about anaphylaxis, how to use EpiPens and the early warning signs for severe allergic reactions.
“We have been overwhelmed by the hundreds of messages coming in from across the world, from all the people who loved Órla and will never forget meeting her or seeing her dance. It is clear that she meant so much to so many people, with her mesmerising talent, her cheeky nature and her incredible compassion for others.
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“The truth is, Órla got more out of life in 25 years than most do in a lifetime – and she will now live on in all our hearts forever.”
2024 Manchester Marathon raises £29 million for local economy and over £3.7m for charity
Danny Jones
Just under a fortnight on from the 2024 Manchester Marathon and the numbers are finally, with the annual race generating nearly £30 million for the local economy and raising over £3.7m for charity.
This year’s Adidas Manchester Marathon saw record numbers of runners and spectators as over 30,000 took part in the popular race, up by roughly 6,000 from 2023, and more than 125k turned up to line the streets of Greater Manchester.
As a result, these huge crowds spent upwards of £29.2 million at business around the city centre and around the 10 boroughs last weekend, serving as one of the most significant contributions to the local economy on the annual calendar.
Not only was this an approximately £8m increase on last year’s tally but, most importantly, a sizeable chunk of that went straight into both regional and national charities.
The 2024 adidas Manchester Marathon was a spectacular day for the city and its economy.
Beyond the boost to local vendors, the hospitality sector and retail businesses, over £3.7 million were allocated to charities such as Alzheimer’s Charity, Cancer Research UK, British Heart Foundation and The Christie.
Over £32,000 was also raised for the Trafford Active Fund, with £1 from every paid entry to the Adidas Manchester Marathon and Manchester Half donated directly to the initiative that benefits local sports clubs and organisations through Trafford Council.
Better still, with City of Trees selected as the chosen ‘Green Runner’ charity, the eco-friendly drive saw roughly 7% of participants opt out of receiving either a finisher t-shirt, medal or both.
The money saved in production goes towards maintaining woodlands and wildlife across Greater Manchester.
Together you have raised over £3.7 million for charitable causes, adding even more meaning to those 26.2 miles 💕 Well done and thank you to all those who fundraised and donated! 🌟Tag us in those charity top pictures from last weekend 😍😍#ManchesterMarathonpic.twitter.com/5gsi6NtFzB
This year’s Manchester Marathon also helped produce some of the highest number of passengers on public transport in the city’s history, with a over 175,000 journeys made on Metrolink alone – the highest number of journeys ever recorded on a single day.
This was a 20% increaseon 2023’s race day (145k), spotlighting how the event continues to be more environmentally conscious as years go by.
With the 2025 adidas Manchester Marathon confirmed to be taking place on Sunday, 27 April next year – and over 12,000 places already sold – the city can already look forward to reaping the economic and social benefits of hosting one of Europe’s largest, flattest, friendliest and most-loved marathons.
Featured Images — Adidas Manchester Marathon/The Manc Group
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Manchester firefighter surprises partner with proposal during new recruits parade
Danny Jones
We’re a sucker for a wholesome little video as we know you are, which is exactly why we thought of you lot when we came across this video of a newly graduated Manchester firefighter surprising his partner with a heartwarming proposal.
Just the kind of heartwarming that usually sets us off after a long week at work.
The clip shared by Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) on Thursday, 25 April, shows Manc fireman James popping the question to his girlfriend sat unassumingly in the audience at a recent passing out ceremony.
Pass out ceremonies are when trainees go from recruits to fully qualified firefighters after completing their intensive operational training. It’s a long-standing tradition in the emergency services where friends and family gather to celebrate their achievements – it’s almost like it’s the perfect opportunity…
Watch as a Manc firefighter turns his passing out ceremony into a surprise proposal.
As you can see, since the graduates are usually the centre of attention, James couldn’t help but size his moment and instead of walking and lining up normally like everyone else, he decided to head straight over to his wife-to-be and get down on one knee.
You already know the rest.
Welling up immediately and barely able to remove her hands from her face, Melissa nods and says yes as the crowd cheers and the pair share a smooch.
Writing on social media, the GMFRS said: “We managed to capture a VERY special moment at our new recruits pass out parade today… Congratulations to James and Melissa!”, adding, “Certainly one way to start your new career”.
If we don’t see all the groomsmen dressed as firefighters on a random viral video sometime soon we’re going to be gutted.
All the best to the happy couple and if you’ve got any more lovely clips like this to send in so we can make ourselves cry (in a good way), you know what to do.
Emily Sergeant -
26th January 2024 
