A Port Hardy mother is calling for EpiPens to be available in public places after her 14-year-old son Malachi Flores died from a severe allergic reaction during a hockey trip.

Jerika McArter told CHEK News her son suffered a fatal allergic reaction Sept. 28 in the Comox Valley after he mistakenly thought a snack was safe but was unaware that it contained cashews.

“He’s usually so good – he always looks at all his labels with granola bars and cookies; he usually doesn’t eat different things, he’s also a really picky kid,” she explained.

She said Flores saw two different snacks, one besides each other at a local establishment, one which had nuts and the other which appeared just to have smooth chocolate.

“He loves chocolate and he was like, ‘Oh, I’m going to get that one – it was like co

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