Justin is 8 years old and twin brother to Nathan. He was diagnosed with multiple severe food allergies at age 1 after suffering anaphylactic shock after a drink of milk. Justin travels everywhere with his friend epinephrine and has to be exceptionally careful anytime he is around food. Did you know 1 in every 13 kids have a food allergy. Some being mild and some life threatening. If you have a few minutes, take some time to learn about food allergies. Learn where to find allergens listed on ingredients. Try cooking a meal or two without any dairy. Try without eggs. Try peanuts. If you get good, try without any of the top 8 allergens! Take a minute to learn about anaphylaxis and be able to recognize when a child might be suffering from it (spoiler alert it’s not just facial swelling and shortness of breath). Learn about the cost of Epinephrine, how it works, where it might be, and how to administer if you ever need to. Educate yourself. Try to understand what it must feel like as a child with a severe food allergy, or as a parent having to send their child to school or fly in an airplane where they may come in contact with something that could take their life.

Any questions, our resident expert Justin would be happy to answer!