Why Raising Awareness of my Sister’s Food Allergies is Important.

Hi, I'm Alex.

I was 13 when my sister, Tash passed away. My dad called me from a hospital in France and told me she was going to die in a few minutes and that I had to say my last words to her, to say goodbye. It was the worst day of my life, I can honestly say that my childhood ended in that moment. Tash didn't need to die. Had the food label on her sandwich listed the sesame seeds she was allergic to, she would never have eaten it.

Tash's allergies were central to our lives. From a young age, I felt very protective of her, and when friends came around to play, I would insist they wash their hands as soon as they walked in the door. I would explain it was to keep Tash safe in case they had any of her allergens on their hands. They all adored her and it was never a problem.

I have been an Ambassador for The Natasha Allergy Research Foundation for 4 years now, since my parents started the charity in 2019, and am committed to raising allergy awareness whenever I can.

I've just finished my 1st year at University and have seen how allergy awareness is crucial for uni students. As it's World Allergy Week, I want to give a huge shout-out to all students with allergies. But there are many people who are completely unaware of the severity of allergies and that's why I take my role as Ambassador so seriously.

If you are at University and have allergies, I’d love to hear your experiences of how hard or easy it's been to have the uni experience we all hope for. Sharing this with your flatmates, coursemates and society mates is probably not easy at first, especially when you want to focus on other things. I've found that when you dive in and explain, people want to know, they want to understand and help however they can.

If we could all chat about our allergy story to just one new person in our circle at university this week, it will add up and make a massive difference.

Please share your story and tag us, and spread the word for World Allergy Week. You can also get in touch on Facebook @natashasfoundation

Much love,
Alex