Epinephrine Could Have Saved Him

Grand Rapids, Wis (WFHR, WIRI) – Mark and Cristin Mueller lost their son, Andrew to an unknown peanut allergy in November 2024. Epinephrine could have saved him, but first responders didn’t have it in their first aid kits.

Now the Muellers, along with law makers, are working to change that. New legislation would require first responders be equipped with an epinephrine delivery system and be trained on how to use it.

Andrew’s Story

On November 23, 2024, 20 year old Andrew Mueller bought a package of candy at a local gas station. The candy had a holiday style wrapping and Andrew didn’t notice it was peanut butter flavored. After eating some of the chocolate and peanut butter candy, his mouth felt strange. Having never eaten peanut butter before, Andrew asked his dad, Mark if he had a peanut allergy. Mark didn’t know, but when Andrew started having trouble breathing, his parents called 911. Andrew’s mom Cristin told the 911 operator she thought he was in anaphylactic shock and needed epinephrine.

When the police officer arrived within 30 minutes, Andrew was still conscious. He wasn’t talking and having a hard time breathing, but he was still awake. The first responder didn’t have epinephrine. It took 7-10 minutes before the ambulance arrived with the drug that could have saved him. Those minutes were key and during that time, Andrew died. From the time Andrew ate the unknown allergen to the time of his death due to loss of oxygen to his brain was about an hour.

Making Positive Change from Tragedy

Mark and Cristin Mueller are determined to turn their family tragedy into a positive change in Wisconsin. Currently, first responders aren’t required to carry epinephrine. They may be trained on how to administer it, but they don’t always have it on them when responding to an emergency.

Shortly before Christmas, Mark called Senator Patrick Testin. He talked with the senator about his idea of having a law that requires all first responders to have epinephrine. Senator Testin and his team along with Representative Scott Krug got to work on drafting a bill.

New Law in the Works

Assembly Bill 128 was introduced by Representative Krug and others on March 11, 2025. Senate Bill 156 was introduced by Senator Testin and others on March 26, 2025. Both the Assembly and the Senate bills require first responders to be trained in how to recognize signs and symptoms of severe allergic reactions along with other training. It will also allow the Department of Health Services to distribute epinephrine delivery systems to first responders. 

Next Steps

These bills, introduced by Sen. Testin and Rep. Krug will make change in communities across the state. They will require that first responders not only have the training, but also have the epinephrine. Mark and Cristin encourage others to reach out to their legislators and tell them to vote yes on these bills. They don’t want other families to suffer the tragedy they did in losing Andrew when epinephrine could have saved him. You can find who represents your district here.

Andrew Mueller Memorial

The Mueller family is holding a Memorial Show and Benefit for Andrew at Golden Sands Speedway on Saturday, June 21st. Andrew loved his career working as a heavy equipment operator. He had a passion for trucks and snowmobiling and enjoyed racing for Nexus BMX. Mark and Cristin hope to set up a scholarship fund with proceeds from the Memorial Show and Benefit. They hope to make this a yearly event. Mark said they also plan to use some of the funds to buy epinephrine for the local communities that need it in Wood County.