A good friend of mine, Megan, was telling me about Food Allergy Awareness Week and having had to deal with a dairy free diet for a few months myself, and working around friend’s allergies at get togethers I knew I wanted to help get the word out. Her sweet son has over 20 allergies so she could tell you more about allergy awareness then I ever could have! Read more about her experiences here on Love, Life, Lavins
Take it away Megan!
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I’m so excited to be featured on My Own Blog Review. Hilary and I were in the same program at college and I admired her then. And, I especially admire her now. I’ve seen her become a wonderful wife, mother, and now entrepreneur. It’s wonderful to have talented people in your social circles, because they help inspire and push you.
We all know Hilary’s awesome, that’s why we all follow her blog (and hope to win her giveaways!) So today, I’d like to talk about something not everyone knows about: food allergies. This week, May 12-18, is Food Allergy Awareness Week.
My son has over 20 food allergies, and it is no piece of cake. In fact, he literally cannot have cake. Unlike some other medical issues, this is ever present. It is something I have to think about constantly. Every single grocery trip I have to pore over food labels. I have to worry about every snack and meal. I have to worry about someone—even family—giving my son something he can’t have. I can never leave the house without carrying a syringe full of a medication he could possibly need. I have to worry about holidays and other food-centered events and how to help him feel included.
One mother, who’s had to deal with cancer and food allergies, says that food allergies are actually worse. This seemed a bit dramatic to me, but the way she explains it does raise a few valid points: “When a diagnosis of cancer happens, you are given books and handouts to read, you meet with a medical team to help guide you, doctors, nurses, social workers. When food allergies get diagnosed you are handed a list of foods and ingredients derived from that food to avoid, and a prescription for an Epi-pen. You are sent out the door with less than a pat on the back and a ‘good luck’ to face trying to find something safe to feed your child at the grocery store.”
Thankfully, I’ve found a lot of help from a non-profit group, UFAN, that was started by a bunch of allergy-mommas. It’s so great to have support, substitution lists, and recipes. But, I’d love for the help to come from other moms. It’d be great for understanding to increase. So, if you’d like to help others who suffer with food allergies, you can start by doing three, easy things:
- Always ask when you are giving away food, bringing food somewhere, and ESPECIALLY when you are going to be feeding someone else’s child if they have any food allergies. With 15 million Americans suffering from food allergies, and many of them children—who don’t always know to ask, or are embarrassed to—it’s important that we all watch out for each other. I’ll admit I didn’t before my son had food allergies. But, I have learned to do so, and you can too! It’s such a relief when I see that others are helping me be ever vigilant.
- Try not to complain, or make the person feel difficult or different. I feel bad for mothers in play groups and other situations that have to amend what their child is bringing for lunch, or change their plans to something less convenient. I think sometimes people feel we like the attention. But trust me, having to completely change your life for every.single.mealis hard too. I wish I didn’t have to ask. By all means, roll your eyes, or be upset—but after my child has left. It’s hard enough being a kid and wanting to fit in, and when your child feels different it breaks your heart. Please be compassionate, flexible, and most of all understanding. Be grateful you can give your child a PB&J at some other time, instead of never. And, treat your children to be kind as well.
- Learn how to administer an Epi-Pen. Just a few weeks ago, an 11-year-old boy died from biting into a pretzel that had peanut butter in it. He didn’t even swallow it; he spit it out as soon as he tasted the peanuts—but he still ended up dying. Food allergies are real and they are serious. The only thing that can halt a reaction is administering the drug epinephrine, which comes in a syringe, an Epi-Pen. There is a five minute online training that was developed to train you so you know how, why, and where to administer the Epi-Pen. You can find it at ashottolive.org. I feel this is just as life-saving and important as CPR. You could save someone’s life with this critical information. Even if it’s an adult having the reaction, they may be too incapacitated to administer it to themselves, and will be relying on someone else to do it for them. Reactions can happen instantly, and every second counts.
Any help, awareness, or understanding you can give is much appreciated by the allergy mommas out there. In fact, if you do these three things I’ll give you a big high five (via the Internet of course). Celebrate if you do not have food allergies, and be empathic to those that do.
Here’s to happy, and SAFE eating to all of us!
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I couldn’t have said it better myself. There is one little girl in my neighborhood who is allergic to anything containing dairy and her mom has taught her to ask. That really is so important. And knowing Megan and her precious little boy personally I can’t imagine how sad it would make me feel to hear he felt like an outcast just because he has allergies. So I encourage you to take these three steps and be a little kinder.
Please share this message with your friends and loved ones.
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Thanks for this post! We just found out our son is allergic to peanuts and it is definitely a challenge, but it’s always good to hear how other moms are handling it!
Yes! Having a support group is invaluable!!!! xoXO!