My blog

Peanut butter what...Cheerios?

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 17:49:55 -0500

Does the fact that General Mills is introducing Peanut Butter Cheerios outrage you?  I was contacted by Richmond, Va’s local news channel WRIC to speak about the issue from the viewpoint of a food allergy parent.
The introduction of General Mills’s Peanut Butter Cheerios surprises me and disappoints me as a mom, in general, and as a food allergy mom. We live in a world that is becoming more aware of eating healthy and where shows like The Biggest Loser and Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution have prime time slots. Okay, so General Mills has obviously not jumped on the same bandwagon. Bummer!
As the mother of a child with severe nut allergies, the cross-contamination factor, similarity in packaging and product, sharing, and left behind crumbs do concern me. When General Mills was presented with food allergy parents concerns, the Company made the following statement on their Facebook page, "Attention fans: Food allergies are a serious issue, and that's why we employ the most stringent allergen control practices in the industry. We can say with complete confidence that Multi Grain Cheerios Peanut Butter will not cross-contaminate other Cheerios varieties. Providing safe food products to all our consumers, including those affected by food allergies, remains our highest priority. We have maintained stringent and effective allergen protocols for decades across all our products, including our cereals that contain nuts."
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In memory of ammaria johnson

Sun, 8 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500

It has been almost a week since the loss of 7 year old Ammaria Johnson. Families are mourning nationally, especially we food allergy parents. The loss of Ammaria has brought tears to our eyes, sent chills down our spines and has increased our fear thermometers. But with the increase in fear, comes the fire of passion to make changes.
Richmond, Virginia’s, local food allergy mom and Richmond Food Allergy Support Group (RFASG) member, Beth Ehrensberger, is hoping this tragedy will inspire us to seek change. Beth has not only written our senators and congressmen but is also inspiring other food allergy parents and grandparents to do the same.
*The Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN™) is working on federal legislation that would encourage states to adopt laws requiring schools to have on hand “stock” epinephrine auto-injectors – meaning epinephrine that is not prescribed specifically to a single student but can be used for any student and staff member in an anaphylactic emergency.
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food allergy parent’s worst nightmare became a reality!

Wed, 4 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Ammaria Johnson, a seven year old first grader at Hopkins Elementary School in Chesterfield, VA, died while attending school.
Tears! Shock! Fear!
Tears...How could we not protect this child? We failed her! The system failed her!
Shock... The school supposedly did not follow Ammaria’s food allergy action plan. And it was reported that when Ammaria’s mother attempted to leave an EpiPen with the school, they instructed her to keep it at home.
FEAR! I have a child who is allergic to peanuts and attends first grade at a local public elementary school. This could have been my son.
These are my first emotions when I think about Ammaria losing her life to a suspected peanut exposure at school. Rhonda Day, a local mom, grandmother, and writer for richmondmom.com, writes, “I am broken-hearted, angry, and confused about how this could happen.” This is a feeling that I am sure all of us are feeling right now.   It is suspected that a friend shared their treat with seven year old Ammaria Johnson, which may have contained peanuts. I have read that Ammaria’s food allergy action plan was not followed and that there was NOT an EpiPen on hand at the school for her. According to CBS 6 News when Ammaria’s mother, Laura Pendleton, attempted to leave an Epipen with the school’s clinical aide, she was told to keep it at home.
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“I’m going to Disney World” with food allergies

Thu, 8 Dec 2011 14:36:51 -0500

As a mother and of Allergy of a 4 year old and 6 year old, my husband and I often discuss visiting the “the happiest place on earth, ” Disney World. Are we ready to meet the challenges of food allergies at a resort of 47 unfamiliar square smiles? I was speaking with another food allergy parent that I met through Allergy Apparel and was excited to hear about her family’s Disney experience. It was comforting to hear her input so I asked if she would write about it. Meet Laura, Allergy Apparel’s first guest blogger. This is a heartfelt blog entry that any food allergy parent can relate to and learn from.  -Theresa Marie Green    My thrill seeking 10 year old showed no hesitation at the thought of riding the rides at the park. Her outlook seemed to be, the faster the better. Yet, when I told her that I planned a brunch for us at a special restaurant, I saw that old familiar shadow of fear creep into her eyes. When I said the meal would be served buffet style, she didn’t even try to hide her disappointment. Even though she hadn’t spoken a word, I could hear her mind racing, “Will they have food that is safe for me to eat?” Unfortunately, we both know this dialogue all too well. Usually my answer would be, “We will have to see when we get there, we will take some safe food with us, and we will be sure to take your medicine bag.” However, for the first time since she was diagnosed with food allergies almost 8 years ago, I was able to reassure my daughter that they certainly would have safe food for her.   When my parents offered to take us to Walt Disney World to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary, I felt thrilled because I remember enjoying Disney as a child. Yet, I was beyond a little reluctant to take Mary to Disney. Theme parks and buffet meals probably don’t cause fear to well in the hearts of most moms, but Mary is not quite like most children. Just being touched by someone who has handled certain foods has caused Mary to have severe allergic reactions, and accidently ingesting something she is allergic to could be deadly for Mary. So, I am often more than a little scared for her.   I completely understood the concern in her eyes when I told her we would be going out to eat in Florida. I share that concern with her. I also share information about food allergies with her and anyone else who will listen. What an unexpected treat I experienced when I shared with her what I learned about a special service provided by Walt Disney World. After I told her about my conversation with a very nice lady working in food services at Disney World, our outlook changed for the better.  They offered some foods prepared in a nut free environment. Not only that, but they would have a special nut free dessert prepared just for Mary, and the chef would come walk with her through the buffet line to be sure she knew if there were foods she should avoid since she is also allergic to shellfish and sesame seeds. When I explained all of this to her, Mary looked as if she might cry. Then she hugged me and said, “Mama, will they really have safe food for me? Thank you so much for planning this trip. I have never been to a restaurant where I felt safe and I could actually have the same kind of dessert other people eat.”  The next few weeks passed in a blur of packing and getting ready for our trip. Mary’s siblings checked out maps of Disney World and considered which rides and activities they might enjoy the most. Mary kept asking about our special meal. “Will I really get to meet the chef? Are you sure I get to have dessert in a restaurant? It won’t be plain ice cream, will it? Are you sure the food will be safe?” I was torn between being thrilled that she would have this opportunity and thinking how sad it felt that eating at a “safe” meal should be the highlight of my child’s trip to Disney.  The day of our special meal arrived, and I must admit to feeling waves of that familiar fear threatening to ruin our meal before it even started. I made sure we were on time for our reservation for the Crystal Palace Restaurant, but as we waited for them to call our name, I felt myself clutching Mary’s medicine bag and wondering if this had really been a good idea. Could they really make this meal all that I had imagined for Mary?  Thankfully, they exceeded my expectations. While Mary’s siblings and cousins were thrilled by the arrival of Pooh Bear and all of his friends from the Hundred Acre Wood, Mary wiggled in her chair waiting to meet the chef. When he came to our table, Mary’s smile was even bigger than her baby brother’s grin when he saw Tigger. The Chef escorted Mary around the restaurant like a princess. He showed her foods that contained shellfish and sesame seeds. He told her that the bread was not baked in their restaurant so she should avoid eating the rolls. She was disappointed a bit by that news, but that disappointment was wiped out when the Chef came to the table with a huge brownie made just for Mary.   We all enjoyed our time in Disney*, and each of my children will have the joy of remembering a special time celebrating with their grandparents. But, I am confident that Mary and I will both always hold on to the extra special treasure of a safe meal, a kind chef who treated her like a princess and a brownie just for her, but big enough to share with Daddy.  For more information enjoying Disney in spite of food allergies, check out Disney's Special Dietary page.
 *Note- We made the choice to avoid Animal Kingdom because so many of the animals eat nuts, and many of the “cast members” working with birds carry nuts throughout that park. -Laura Wright  I am also excited to share with you the announcement that AllergyEats, the biggest and fastest growing source for finding allergy-friendly restaurants, has launched AllergyEats Disney World, a new website focused exclusively on restaurants in and around Disney World.  People who visit the FREE AllergyEats Disney World microsite can quickly and easily view and rate the food allergy-friendliness of all the restaurants in Walt Disney World’s parks and hotels, as well as thousands of restaurants in the greater Orlando area. Now, when food-allergic families visit "the happiest place on earth," they'll be even happier because they'll have instant access to peer-reviews, outlining how well (or poorly) the local establishments accommodated others’ food allergies.   Paul Antico, founder of AllergyEats says, “As with the core AllergyEats site, my motivation for starting AllergyEats Disney World was based on personal experiences with my three food-allergic children, as well as demand from our broader food allergy and intolerance community. My hope is that other food-allergic families will use AllergyEats Disney World to learn about their restaurant options and make more informed decisions about where to dine while in the area.”  After learning of Laura’s family’s experience and with the AllergyEats information, I hope to soon be saying, “I’m going to Disney World.”  

Be prepared...

Thu, 18 Aug 2011 22:44:52 -0400

School can be scary for us food allergy parents. This is a list of questions that an experienced food allergy Mom shared with me last year when we were preparing for kindergarten. I revised the letter to meet our needs, shared a copy with our school nurse and River’s teachers in advance, and set up a meeting. We went over each question together and created a safer environment for River.