Food allergies and asthma can go hand-in-hand.
Food allergies and asthma can go hand-in-hand.
Before she was one, Natasha had 2 anaphylactic reactions (first to banana and then to cow’s milk). A few months later, she experienced breathing difficulties that hospitalised her - doctors were unsure if it was asthma as she was so young.
She took her first steps in the hospital corridor.
Natasha’s first really serious allergic asthma attack was in a coffee shop. She was a toddler and we went there following a walk in the park as we had many times before. On this occasion, Natasha had a huge asthma attack that hospitalised her for 3 days. It was terrifying. We discovered over time that airborne milk particles from frothing milk had been the trigger.
A well as being prone to asthma from viruses, cold, mould and damp, Natasha also experienced breathing difficulties when in contact with chemical smells such as bleach, air freshener, perfume and nail polish remover. She was dosed up with antihistamines between March and May every year because of spring blossom pollen that would trigger serious asthma attacks.
During her early primary school years, she was bullied, so we moved her to another school. It is worth noting that after moving schools, and as the bullying stopped, within a year, the frequency of her asthma attacks had halved! By the time she started secondary school, she had an average of 85% school attendance, which for us was amazing!
Natasha's last serious allergic reaction before her fatal one in 2016 was when she was 6 years old, from a ‘contaminated’ cookie. One injection from her EpiPen relieved the symptoms within seconds. It was amazing. Asthma on the other hand seemed harder to control and I think looking back, that I feared it more.
Yet it was food allergies that ultimately took Natasha’s life, though it seems her asthma may have been a contributing factor.
My beautiful girl, how my heart still hurts every time I say your name.
