World Allergy Week

It's World Allergy Week, the focus of the week being 'Food Allergy - A rising global health problem'.  It is a particular worry as 'the condition disproportionally burdens children, negatively impacting nutrition, healthy development and anxiety levels' (The Anaphylaxis Campaign, 2013).

I want to use this week to highlight to any readers how important support, friendship and trust are to the parents and children who have food allergies.  Everyday and everywhere allergic children go, they either carry their medication for themselves or their parents carry it.  Each situation carries its own anxieties - the party of a new friend, going out for lunch, going to a farm to feed animals, the list goes on, and for parents who want a babysitter to go out for a night, that's a whole new world of questions.  Should I teach the babysitter how to use the epipen??...but they are in bed asleep, not eating eggs,...but what if...& what if.....The ultimate plan for the parent is to be prepared and never ever be a position where you are forced to regret your actions or lack of them.

In the last fortnight, I have heard a little girl tell my son his skin is bumpy and funny and a mum outside nursery has asked him (not me, him) if he has teenage pimples.  He looks in the mirror and tells me he wants the spots off.  I've even considered using concealer on him.  The allergist he is under finally reviewed him after his anaphylactic episode in hospital, 7, yes that's right, 7 months later.  The GP refused to refer him to the dermatologist for a review and better allergy management because 'dermatologists laugh at GPs' - I'm not even joking and, to top the fortnight off, he has had me running at him across a large table of friends and family shouting 'no Zach' because I thought he was about to drink milk, when in fact he showed me, it was water.  All in all, he is remarkable and unfazed by what he can and can't have, but sometimes I am astounded by people's lack of judgement, knowledge and sensitivity.

There are many parents out there who have it a whole lot worse than we do and with allergies on the rise and with no cure on the horizon, what do we do?

Well, this week, how about we all just increase the support we offer our friend or the family we know who is affected by food allergies?  If you are the friend, teacher, grandparent or even neighbour of a child with food allergies, please take the time to ask the parents if they are OK this week and ask them how it's going.  When you are out, ask them where they keep their epipen, ask if they can show you how to use it, just discuss it.  Just for this week, try to think, as if it is your child who has food allergies and make your plans, in order to make their life fun, free and fabulous.  I am lucky to have a great family and friendship network, but we still have many days where I just want to take it all away from Zach, who is the one who ultimately has to cope with it.


While there is great research going on and many trials, there is no solution for food allergies except avoidance of that food.  In the meantime, use this week to support anyone you know and to learn for yourself what life is really like.  Every parent that I have met who has a child with food allergies has fears and anxieties that they are trying not to let influence their child.  Sharing those anxieties would be appreciated by many, I'm sure.

Charlotte x