As pregnant mothers, we worry about the foods we put into our bodies. We want nothing more than to give our unborn children a healthy start. After all, we are a product of what we eat. I remember, in particular, eating peanut butter crackers between meals for the last two months of my pregnancy with my youngest son, Roman. I had gestational diabetes and needed a snack that provided just the right amount of protein and carbohydrates. Little did I know, peanut allergies were on the rise and about to become worse, with 12 million people suffering from food allergies, and 3 million of those allergic to nuts. It would only be a few short years before I found out the unnerving truth.

Roman was a healthy baby boy and toddler, thriving and growing strong. Yes, there were bouts of eczema, but nothing too concerning. And all his medical check-ups were glowing. Then one afternoon, my mother and I toted the boys to the mall for a rainy day outing. Roman was two-years-old at the time, and ready to sample his first taste of Chick-fil-A. Within minutes of devouring a serving of chicken, his little, chubby hands turned red and his cheeks broke out in a rash. Was it the grease that caused a skin reaction, or was it a food allergy? Coincidently, my mother had just told me about the rise in peanut allergies, so I was alarmed. I turned to my mom, “Chick-fil-A uses peanut oil!” That night, my husband and I decided it was time to have Roman tested for food allergies. Sure enough, a blood test revealed results we feared most…he was allergic to peanuts. We quickly clung to hope that one day he would outgrow the allergy, and asked the doctor the chances of this happening. He told us only what he could promise… that few children do and time would tell. With that, we were prescribed EpiPens and a dose of advice. I felt frozen inside. The one thing I knew for certain was this was not a good diagnosis. Peanut allergies could be deadly.

The next few years were spent cautiously checking all food labels and ensuring that when Roman was not with us, he was in the careful hands of those trained with discriminating eyes and EpiPen use. Of course, there was some resistance at first, as our parents’ generation had not seen or heard of food allergies like Roman’s before. But as the months went by, and after continual education, I knew all our loved ones finally understood the importance of due diligence. And I had created a fairly safe bubble around Roman with minimal risk of exposure. There were only a few times when he broke out in hives, and we had to play detectives to find out the source.

But then the time came for public school. We had Roman retested again with a skin prick test and blood test, hoping that at five-years-old he had outgrown the allergy. However, we were soon given the bad news: not only was he severely allergic to peanuts, he was also now allergic to tree nuts. Suddenly, I realized I had limited control, especially in a school that was not nut-free. Yet kindergarten was half-day, and seemed like a relatively controlled environment. The children didn’t eat lunch at school, and only had a milk break. His teacher made sure he didn’t eat any special treats without my permission, and the school nurse carried his EpiPens, just in case. I attended all class parties and fieldtrips to help Roman understand the importance of NOT sharing food. Fortunately, he graduated from kindergarten without a single incident, and I could breathe a sigh of relief for a happy experience, and safe transition into public school.

The real test, however, came into play when first grade started. It would be the first time Roman would have lunch at school, and sit within feet of multiple kids eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Would these children wash their faces and hands after they ate peanut butter? Would small exposures over time exacerbate his allergies and potentially cause a severe reaction, or would it help him build up some sort of immunity? It was decided that he would sit at the allergy table with other allergy friends to play it safe. The allergy table has become the “cool” table; and so far, my son and his friends do not feel isolated.
This year, I have met several moms in the same sticky predicament. We have since become a community of like-minded people, wanting to keep our children safe and to empower them with knowledge and support. We look out for each other and have ensured the classrooms stay nut-free, even if the cafeteria is not. Every day is still an exercise in staying alert with reading labels, learning about new advancements in food allergy research, and keeping medicine in supply. Every day is also an exercise in faith that there will one day be a cure for those of us who have children with food allergies. No one knows with absolute clarity what has caused this increase in food allergies. For me, I’ve lost sleep thinking it may have been the peanut butter I ate while I was carrying Roman in my womb. Although I will never know for sure, one thing is certain, we are all somehow affected by this epidemic, whether it’s through a friend we know, or a loved one we hold dear.

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Mary Rand Hess is the author of THE DAY I MET THE NUTS, a humorous and empowering picture book that deals with food allergies for children 4-8. She is also allergic to most nuts, shellfish, and some fruits. But she is happy to report it has not stopped her from living an exciting life as mom. She is the editor and co-founder of Earth Day Publishing, books with a mission (www.earthdaypublishing.com). She has written for such nationally recognized publications as Highlights for Children, The Christian Science Monitor, The Little Lutheran/The Little Christian, Fun for Kidz, Kids Zone, and MightyBook, among many others.

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