My friend Andrea and I live very different lives. We live in the same area, we have kids the same age and we even like the same type of things. However, where I go about my day carefree with my children to stores, to libraries, to school, to other people's homes; Andrea has to continually think about the deadly food allergies her family lives with.
According to FARE: Food Allergy Resource and Education more than 15 million Americans have a food allergy and of that 15 million, 5.9 million of those are children under the age of eighteen. That works out to be roughly two children in every classroom. If you don't already know a child or two with food allergies, there is a good chance that you will.Â
I met Andrea and her son John John last year when they joined my 4H club. The first thing I noticed about John John was that he loved being with other children, he joined right in the running game that was happening.  He is a really smart boy and you can tell that he likes to figure things out and to learn new things. But the first thing Andrea and I had to talk about was John John's allergies. For her it wasn't a way to break the ice when meeting someone new, it is a matter of life and death for her son.Â
John John experienced his first anaphylaxis at 10 months old, then again at 13 months old. In his short six years of life, he has experienced anaphylaxis five times. This has thrust Andrea and her family into an entirely different way of looking at the world. John John can not attend many birthday parties because they are often at places that have a lot of air born allergies (for John John, dairy is one of a few air born allergens). Every trip, event, and vacation has to be carefully planned so that they can be sure the food that John John is exposed to is safe. Wipes have to be on hand to clean any surface before John John touches it to ensure it is not contaminated. Andrea and her husband have chosen to homeschool John John for the time being as a way to keep him safe.Â
Understanding food allergies on their own is incredibly difficult, but when you are thrust into a life where your child has a deadly food allergy it adds constant stress and anxiety to a confusing situation.
Andrea and other FA (food allergy) families never expect for people to go out of their way to make accommodations, but it makes a world of difference when someone does. Simple accommodations allow FA families to participate in events or playdates that normally food allergies would prevent them from being a part of.Â
This week, May 14-21, is Food Allergy Awareness week and Andrea has helped me come up with some tips to keep all kids with food allergies safe:Â
* Plan non-food related playdates - or ensure fruits and veggies are safe and send all labels to the FA families so that they can read them carefully if food will be served.
* Have your children wash their hands well after eating and if they were really messy, change their clothes before interacting with FA children.Â
* If your child has consumed a food that could cause a reaction, be sure they do not put toys or other items in their mouths that may come into contact with an FA child.Â
* Teach your children about food allergies. FARE (foodallergy.com) has a great Be a PAL program that helps kids understand and be great friends.Â
* Have compassion for families living with food allergies!!! Food is a constant anxiety for FA parents and they by no means are trying to be mean by turning down something that you have made. Food from an unknown source with unknown ingredients can be deadly for an FA child.Â
Knowing Andrea and John John has helped me to begin to understand food allergies, but I am not an expert. To find out more about food allergies check out these websites:
* aafa.org
* Kidswithfoodallergies.orgÂ
* Foodallergy.comÂ
And if you want to follow Andrea's personal journey you can read her blog atÂ
johnsallergyassault.blogspot.com
Thank you so much to Andrea for helping me with this article and sharing the important message of Food Allergy AwarenessÂ
