Food Allergies can steal our Memories and Milestones
Last week Billie, @butterfieldgreenhouse shared a video of her little boy Jess, being serenaded by nurses, singing Happy Birthday to him in hospital on his 7th birthday. Anaphylaxis had torn him away from his birthday party and friends, to a waiting ambulance that took him straight to hospital.
He is such a brave little boy as allergy children are, and his family has made sure that he understands that his 7th birthday is still an extraordinary day. But in their hearts, his parents will always remember that he had anaphylaxis when he was celebrating his 7th Birthday.
From the day our children are born we can’t help but focus on the joys when they reach milestones, often centered around ‘firsts’ and special moments.
We carry these memories in our hearts forever.
When I first started introducing solid foods to Natasha, I was so excited to see her experiencing new tastes and textures. When gave her a banana, it triggered an anaphylactic reaction. It was so terrifying, we honestly thought we could lose her. At the time, we were on our first holiday with our new baby. I never had the joy again of giving her a new food to try and going anywhere with her after that was like a military operation that required hyper-surveillance/vigilance, such was our fear of anaphylaxis happening again.
Natasha took her first baby steps in hospital when she was 12 months old. She had experienced breathing difficulties and I slept next to her in a hospital fold-up bed for 2 nights. On the 2nd day, my mum insisted I go home for a quick shower and change of clothes and she would watch Natasha. I gratefully went and was back a few hours later. While I was gone, Natasha took her first steps they were more like a run down the hospital corridor. My mum was over the moon - I was happy too, but I also felt cheated that I'd missed it, that I hadn't been there and blamed myself for leaving the hospital.
Only allergy parents truly understand the impact that allergies have on their children's lives. For some of us, food allergies have stolen firsts, special moments, and what should have been untainted happy memories.
Does this resonate with your experiences?