Girl who died after eating peanut snack at camp is remembered

Hundreds of mourners on Thursday remembered 13-year-old Natalie Giorgi, who died after eating a peanut-coated snack at a camp in Sacramento.

“Natalie was such a vibrant young lady who loved being around family and friends … who just had a zest for living,” said her uncle Tim McGuire, a general in the U.S. Army.

Natalie accidentally bit into peanut-coated snack at the camp. She was highly allergic to peanuts.

One teacher remembers a child who wasn’t the best athlete but had the best attitude.

“Natalie was amazing. She just was always cheerful, never complained,” said Phillip Tateishi.

“Jesus wept at the death of Lazarus, his friend … and emotion even annoyance, anger is appropriate. To ask why, why … but somehow to work through that. God willing they will continue to do that,” said Father Michael Kiernan of Our Lady of the Assumption Church in Carmichael.

The community is trying to help the Girogi family work through their pain with purpose — stressing to everyone that helping children with these allergies isn’t an inconvenience, it’s a matter of life and death.

“My sister, her husband and Natalie [were] ever-vigilant about what Natalie ate. And if it happens to Natalie, children throughout the country at risk,” McGuire said.

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