Simone Albert - Food Allergy Mum Interview Series

Food Allergy Week May 14-20, 2017

Australian children have the highest recorded rate of food allergies in the world. One in 10 babies born in Australia today will develop a food allergy. As, Food Allergy Week coincides with Mother's Day this year we are highlighting the awesome work of Aussie Food Allergy mums and advocates.

Australia has the unfortunate title of "Food Allergy Capital of the World". Hospital admissions for severe allergic reactions quadrupled in the last 20 years, while alarmingly the number of allergy-related deaths in Australia is increasing by 10 per cent each year. Food Allergy Week, May 14-20 is an initiative of Allergy & Anaphylaxis Australia to raise awareness of food allergies in Australia.

In our Food Allergy Mum Interview Series, we hope to promote understanding and insight in to the challenges of parenting a child with life threatening food allergies, along with the need for change to build an allergy aware allergy safe commUNITY!

Simone Albert, Founder Oliver's Choice

What are your child’s allergies? When did you find out?

Oliver's allergies are: dairy, wheat, egg, rye, peanut and most tree nuts.  We found out Oliver had severe food allergies when he was just 7 months old. Oliver had a near fatal anaphylactic reaction to the dairy in baby formula at 7 months.  He swelled to double his little baby size, and was unrecognisable. His breathing was laboured, and he started turning blue. That day Oliver would have had less than 1ml, possibly less than 0.5ml of dairy. There were no pre-warnings. No eczema. No asthma. No family history of allergies. A bit of a rash around Oliver's mouth when he had a rusk. He was fussy with a bottle & before that day he was only breast fed. 

What would be one of the most difficult aspects of daily living with food allergies?  Or one of the biggest challenge raising a child with food allergies?

Probably the chronic stress of always keeping your child safe. The chronic stress of knowing that your child could die from this. And the continual cooking and preparing in order to keep one step ahead. 

How important is the support of friends, family, and community?

Day care, kindergarten, school support is extremely important for the ongoing safety of your child as you are not there to be their voice and safety blanket, in the younger years especially. It would be nice to have friends and family support for your own sanity and relief of stress but it is not necessary. We are very lucky to have very supportive family and friends around us which we are very thankful for. We have a long way to go still for the wider community to fully understand food allergies, and how working together as a community will save lives when it comes to severe food allergies. 

What would you like other people to know about caring for a child with food allergies? 

It is isolating caring for a child with food allergies. It is scary and stressful. But our food allergy children are like every other child, just like your child and they just want to be included and liked and made to feel like they are not different.

How can families who don’t live with food allergies be extra safe around your food allergic child? 

This is a difficult question as everyone is so different in how they manage their own family's food allergy situation.  Allergies are so individual.  So the best answer for this might be 'open communication'.  Always ASK the food allergy family what they would like you to do to help keep their child safe? I would think that some of the same answers would be... please wash your hands and your child's hands before you play with my child. Perhaps if your child is young they could eat a safe food before they play together. Some families might offer suggestions of safe foods to share. Or others might feel more comfortable having a play date outside of eating times and in a neutral playground outside. Just always ask. 

Do you have a proud mum moment (of your food allergic child?) that you would like to share?

So many...  allergy kids are amazing in how brave they are with all that they have to take on! Almost 4 years ago we saw a documentary about Oral Immunotherapy (OIT) in the USA and how it was changing food allergy children's lives. Since then we have been researching, following and in contact with different allergists in the USA that specialise in this treatment. Oliver has been really wanting to have an opportunity & choice to do OIT. We had been waiting patiently for it to come into Australia but it just seemed too far away... so we put it to Oliver that if he wanted to complete the OIT treatment we would have to go to America and it might be a tough journey but he was all for it!!  

Oliver has been amazing every step of the way from the first time that he had his first minuscule amounts of the allergens that had sent him to the ER on 6 different occasions before this until he tried his first 0.3 mls of real milk last week. He had a great time buying his first ever carton of milk. He has trusted his specialist and has been so brave every time he had to take his allergens everyday.  We are all so proud of how he has taken this all on and is working towards his food allergy freedom and safety. 

What would be one piece of advice for parents who have a child with new food allergy diagnosis?

Follow your gut as a mum. If you think something is wrong follow your instinct. Don't be afraid to speak up in protection of your child. You are your child's voice and advocate. 

Do you have a favourite, safe for your family, recipe or meal idea to share? 

 Dairy-free, wheat-free, egg-free pancakes and waffles  Really easy.
And we also love Two Minute Chocolate Cake 

How can we raise food allergy awareness in our communities? 

Talk more about it. Share how you feel. Share what is happening in your food allergy family. Don't be afraid to talk about it. Don't hide it.

Thanks for being a hardworking food allergy awareness advocate, and an inspiration. What inspires you? 

Our children, and not wanting other food allergy families to go through what we went through. Trying to make their journey just that bit easier through sharing our stories, our recipes, our experiences and building a community to support each other. It's all about knowing you have CHOICE while living with food allergies.

Simone Albert, is the mother of two children, one with severe multiple allergies. She and her food allergic son, Oliver are currently in the U.S where he is undergoing oral immunotherapy for multiple food allergies. Simone and her family are based in Victoria, and she is also a registered nurse. Simone is founder of Oliver's Choice , a food allergy resource  for families, and blog as well as a Facebook resource page. One family living with severe food allergies to dairy, wheat, egg, rye, peanuts and some tree nuts sharing their experiences, recipes & journey in hope that it will help another... 

Sonya Lee Beisler - Food Allergy Mum Interview Series

Food Allergy Week May 14-20, 2017

Australian children have the highest recorded rate of food allergies in the world. One in 10 babies born in Australia today will develop a food allergy. As, Food Allergy Week coincides with Mother's Day this year we are highlighting the awesome work of Aussie Food Allergy mums and advocates.

Australia has the unfortunate title of "Food Allergy Capital of the World". Hospital admissions for severe allergic reactions quadrupled in the last 20 years, while alarmingly the number of allergy-related deaths in Australia is increasing by 10 per cent each year. Food Allergy Week, May 14-20 is an initiative of Allergy & Anaphylaxis Australia to raise awareness of food allergies in Australia.

In our Food Allergy Mum Interview Series, we hope to promote understanding and insight in to the challenges of parenting a child with life threatening food allergies, along with the need for change to build an allergy aware allergy safe commUNITY!

Sonya Lee Beisler,  Cookbook author,  founder Allergy Save

What are your child's allergies? When did you find out?

Cohen developed severe eczema from 4 months old. We tried every possible remedy to cure his eczema but it kept coming back. I suspected it was food related even though our dermatologist was insistent it wasn’t. At 12 months old, he was diagnosed with severe allergies to milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, wheat, rice, corn, oats, chicken, fish, soy, potatoes, peas, peaches, mangoes. He is now almost 11 years old. His only major remaining allergy now is nuts.

How important is the support of friends, family and community?

Very important. Having a child with severe allergies can be very isolating. Often your child is excluded from social engagements, parties, etc. So many social interactions involve food. Knowing that exposure to an allergic food can be life threatening for your child, social engagements take on a new meaning. No longer are they a relaxed enjoyable time to catch up with people and make new acquaintances, they are now a time of high stress. Between the preparation of taking your own “safe” food and the stress of being on high alert, sometimes it easier to decline invitations and slowly disconnect from society because it all seems too hard sometimes. When you have support from friends, family and community, it absolutely means the world. A sense of belonging and community is an essential part to being a healthy person and family unit. Simple gestures from people who care and understand can make such a huge difference. It’s the handwritten note from a mum asking what my son can eat so he doesn’t miss out on food at a birthday party. It’s my church changing communion bread to a bread that is safe for my son, so he could be included. It’s grandparents giving a toy instead of chocolate at Easter time. It’s the little things that let us know we matter. Our kids miss out on a lot so any time someone does something to help include them means a lot to us and helps fuel us to keep going.

Do you have a proud mum moment that you would like to share?

I have so many proud mum moments, every day. One that stands out was when my boy was only about 2, it was before he could talk properly. We were at the park one day and another child offered him some lollies. I was about to intervene, (as in do a running nose dive and catch the said bag of lollies on the way through), when my son put up his hand and said with such authority “NO”!! I was astounded and sooooo proud. I knew from that day, he ‘got it’. Sure, he still had so much to learn, but at 2 years old he knew not to accept food from anyone but me.

What would be one piece of advice for parents who have a child with new food allergy diagnosis?

Educate your child about their allergies. You are their advocate, protector and carer until they are at an age and maturity to look after themselves. I see so many allergy parents try to wrap their kids in bubble wrap to protect them and keep them safe. While, I do understand this mentality, it isn’t practical. Why isolate your child any more than is necessary.  It is our job to teach them about their health. Yes, it is their health and they need to understand what their allergies mean. There will come a time when you won’t be there and they will need to evaluate risks and negotiate life for themselves.  Explain the consequences of eating the wrong food. Educate them in a practical, non-fearful way.  If they have a peanut allergy, for example, show them what a peanut looks like - in its shell, out of its shell. Show them what foods peanuts are often found in. Teach your child how to read a food label. Make the most of every teaching opportunity. A funny story that springs to mind is when, I was explaining to my boy that if he ate the wrong food his eczema would blow up. So, when he would question me with trying a new food from the supermarket we would read the label together and evaluate whether the ingredients were safe. If it wasn’t, I would say no it’s not a good idea, it may make you blow up. It wasn’t until a few years ago, he questioned me about what that actually meant. He used to think he would literally ‘blow up’. Obviously I hadn’t explained it properly, regardless it kept him safe, he didn’t dare try anything he shouldn’t. Don’t underestimate allergy kids, they are remarkable and very intuitive.

Do you have a favourite, safe for your family recipe or meal idea to share? What’s one of the first recipes you taught your kids to make?

Cooking for our family is so much easier than it used to be. I like to cook from scratch using real ingredients. It’s easier, healthier and safer. I have a range of allergy friendly recipes on my website Allergy Save. I’ve also written 3 ‘Top 8 Free’ recipe eBooks which are also available on my website. I also share recipes on the Allergy Save Facebook page, which is also a great place of support and encouragement for allergy families. 

Sonya Lee Beisler is a working mum of two children, and is a food allergy cook book author, eczema, nutrition and food allergy blogger and advocate. Sonya runs the allergy friendly resource and service Allergy Save, which offers support, information, allergy friendly recipes, allergy coaching and consulting service for sufferers of allergic conditions. She lives with her beautiful family in rural NSW.

Michelle Bromfield - Food Allergy Mum Interview Series

Food Allergy Week May 14-20, 2017

Australian children have the highest recorded rate of food allergies in the world. One in 10 babies born in Australia today will develop a food allergy. As, Food Allergy Week coincides with Mother's Day this year we are highlighting the awesome work of Aussie Food Allergy mums and advocates.

Australia has the unfortunate title of "Food Allergy Capital of the World". Hospital admissions for severe allergic reactions quadrupled in the last 20 years, while alarmingly the number of allergy-related deaths in Australia is increasing by 10 per cent each year. Food Allergy Week, May 14-20 is an initiative of Allergy & Anaphylaxis Australia to raise awareness of food allergies in Australia.

In our Food Allergy Mum Interview Series, we hope to promote understanding and insight in to the challenges of parenting a child with life threatening food allergies, along with the need for change to build an allergy aware allergy safe commUNITY!

Michell Bromfield - Food Allergy Blogger 

What are your child’s allergies? When did you find out?

My son is allergic to dairy,egg,soy,wheat and gluten, my daughter is allergic to wheat and gluten.

My son I found out when he was about 8 weeks old, I was suspicious from about 6 weeks old as he was showing symptoms when I would eat specific foods and the foods would pass through my breast milk, with lots of research, speaking to various medical professionals and the keeping of a food diary plus elimination diet I was able to determine his allergies down to dairy, egg, soy, wheat and gluten. Once I removed these in their entirety from my diet he no longer had any food allergy symptoms.

My daughter we found out when she was about 18 months when she was accidentally given wheat/gluten by someone else, we had suspected this already as she hasn't been exposed to wheat/gluten because I am also allergic to it but she has shown a few times with accidentally ingestions that she is also allergic.

What would be one of the most difficult aspects of daily living with food allergies?  Or one of the biggest challenge raising a child with food allergies? 

The exclusion and lack of ease of attending social events. Even if allergy Mumma's are tired and had a rough day it's almost impossible for them to just do a quick drive through dinner or anything of the like, everything needs to be prepared from scratch all the time. Meals need to be planned in advance, groceries need buying well in advance and often, as you can't always get what you need at the drop of a hat.

How important is the support of friends, family, and community?

Extremely important. There are a lot of barriers to receiving diagnosis as some Doctors just don't have enough experience and information on the matter and it can be extremely hard for the parents who are trying to get to the bottom of it so people need to support the parents and trust that they know what is absolutely best for their own child and do whatever they can to support them. 

What would you like other people to know about caring for a child with food allergies? How can families who don’t live with food allergies be extra safe around your food allergic child?

Learn about what the allergies are and go to extra lengths to include them where possible not withstanding their food exclusions. It's actually pretty straight forward to make some allergy friendly snacks, it is just initially daunting but there is a lot of information and wonderful recipes online. The allergic friend/family member will appreciate it so much and will always remember the special effort you made.

Do you have a favourite, safe for your family, recipe or meal idea to share? 

One of my children's favourite and easy dinners is my Quick & Easy dairy,egg,soy,wheat and gluten free chicken nuggets with home made sweet potato chips and veggies:

Michelle Bromfield is a mother of two beautiful children; Bethenny (aged 3) and Brooklyn (aged 1) who both have food allergies; Bethenny to wheat & gluten and Brooklyn to wheat, gluten, dairy, egg and soy.  Michelle is also allergic to wheat & gluten.  Michelle juggles, food allergy blogging, fulltime law study and caring for her two young children. Michelle runs a food allergy & lifestyle blog www.iammeowms.com with helpful information for families navigating life with food allergies.

Ruth Meaney - Food Allergy Mum Interview Series

Food Allergy Week May 14-20, 2017

Australian children have the highest recorded rate of food allergies in the world. One in 10 babies born in Australia today will develop a food allergy. As, Food Allergy Week coincides with Mother's Day this year we are highlighting the awesome work of Aussie Food Allergy mums and advocates.

Australia has the unfortunate title of "Food Allergy Capital of the World". Hospital admissions for severe allergic reactions quadrupled in the last 20 years, while alarmingly the number of allergy-related deaths in Australia is increasing by 10 per cent each year. Food Allergy Week, May 14-20 is an initiative of Allergy & Anaphylaxis Australia to raise awareness of food allergies in Australia.

In our Food Allergy Mum Interview Series, we hope to promote understanding and insight in to the challenges of parenting a child with life threatening food allergies, along with the need for change to build an allergy aware allergy safe commUNITY!

Ruth Meaney, Cook Book Author & Blogger

 What are your child’s allergies? When did you find out?

We found out my daughter had food allergies when she was 15 months, though she had her first reaction at 7 months of age when having egg yolk (I didn't realise it was an allergic reaction at the time). Our daughter had an unusual mix of symptoms including failure to thrive, little patches of eczema at her joints, horrible pock marked nappy rash and poor sleep as well as a few episodes of vomiting 2 hours after eating certain foods. I approached my GP and said "I think she has allergies" which my doctor disagreed with but thankfully referred us to the local allergy clinic anyway. Skin prick testing came back positive to hazelnut, pecan, seafood, sesame and egg. After cutting those foods out of her diet she grew 4cm in a month!! Plus her sleep and skin improved.

With our son, it's a bit different. He was a horrible baby from the beginning. He was born a little early at 37 weeks due to pregnancy complications, then was a very reflux like baby. Lots of screaming, lots of vomiting, not much sleep. Turned out he had a tongue and lip tie which we got lasered which helped with breastfeeding but it wasn't until I started cutting out the top 8 allergens did we finally have a happy and content baby (this was around 3-4 months of age). Both he and I stayed of the top 8 allergens until he was getting closer to 1 when we started introducing foods like egg and nuts. Egg he is fine with (Woohoo!) but he has had two major reactions which we think may be related to either seafood or nuts. Skin prick testing didn't give us many answers so we are next doing blood tests and have been prescribed EpiPens. He has intolerances to wheat and dairy but isn't allergic to them. He is nearly 2 years old.

What would be one of the most difficult aspects of daily living with food allergies?  Or one of the biggest challenges raising a child with food allergies?

One of the biggest challenges is managing three different dietary needs! My husband is allergic to mushrooms, my daughter to sesame, seafood, hazelnut and pecan and then my son can't do wheat, dairy, seafood or nuts! Finding meals, we can all eat is tricky, and especially with little kids who aren't big fans of trying new foods. I would love to be able to eat out as a family more often or go to social events without having to pack huge amounts of food. Feeding our family at home is easier now and we just keep safe foods easily available. So yes, I'd have to say convenience and eating away from home is the biggest challenge. We recently had a week-long family holiday and it was a bit frustrating having to cook and do the dishes just as much as when we are at home. Most families would be able to eat out and get take away to have a bit of a break from those day to day tasks.

How important is the support of friends, family, and community?

Support is HUGELY important. Thankfully all our family is very supportive and thoughtful. I have heard horrible stories from other mums about partners and family members doubting their kids’ allergies or intolerances and even feeding them foods that aren't safe! Our Blue Mountains community is very open and aware of food allergies and intolerances which makes social events much easier. I'd love there to be even more community awareness about food allergies though.

What would you like other people to know about caring for a child with food allergies? How can families who don’t live with food allergies be extra safe around your food allergic child?

I'd love people to know how much effort and thought goes into day to day life when food allergies are involved. You always have to plan and pack, always have to have EpiPens, and always have to know what’s in the food you're eating. 

Families who don't have allergies can help by not freely offering food to my kids without asking first. I have a couple of friends who contact me before social events and ask if what they have planned is safe for us to eat too. These kind of gestures and thoughtfulness make such a difference to us. If in doubt, please ask!

Do you have a proud mum moment (of your food allergic child?) that you would like to share?

I am so proud of my daughter, who is about to turn 4. When we play pretend cafes, she always makes me a coffee with coconut milk and makes sure there's food that each of us can eat. I love how food allergies has helped make us more inclusive and thoughtful of other people's needs.

What would be one piece of advice for parents who have a child with new food allergy diagnosis?

Find other allergy families to ask questions and advice from. Everything from recipes, what to do when you start child care/school, doctors to see, what tests to have done, identifying rashes. Allergy families are a wealth of information! There are some fantastic Facebook groups depending on where you live.

Do you have a favourite, safe for your family, recipe or meal idea to share? What's one of the first recipes you taught your kids to make?

We eat a lot of meat and veg, such as chops, roast meat and sausages. I do love a good roast chook, Roast Chicken With Garlic, Sage and Thyme. My kids both love chicken legs so they get one each.  

I have recently co-written a book called Allergy Free Afternoon Tea which is a collection of professional advice from a qualified feeding therapist and allergy friendly recipes to help make your afternoons a time for delicious fun!

How can we raise food allergy awareness in our communities?

We can talk openly about our struggles and challenges. We can request more allergy safe foods at our local supermarkets, cafes and food outlets. We can have awareness events at our schools, preschools, work places and day cares. We can make allergy safe food for our friends and family to try to help remove the stigma that allergy food carries. I'd love for more people to understand just how beautiful and delicious allergy friendly food can be!

Thank-you for being a food allergy awareness advocate. What inspires you?

I am so inspired by the genius ideas and the unwavering dedication of the other allergy families around me. They show such a strength and thirst for knowledge that has spurred me on!

Ruth is an allergy mum of two, living in the beautiful Blue Mountains. She started her blog, Pea Fritters, as a way to show the world just how delicious and beautiful allergy friendly food can be! She also writes about self care for us busy mums. Last year she hosted an allergy free high tea to help raise over $1500 for Hamlin Fistula Hospital. She recently collaborated with a feeding therapist to release her first book, titled Allergy Free Afternoon Tea

Ruth loves to experiment in the kitchen and have dance parties with her kids. Her life long dream is to swim with the Whale Sharks in the Ningaloo Reef.

Jo Abi - Food Allergy Mum Interview Series

Food Allergy Week May 14-20, 2017

Australian children have the highest recorded rate of food allergies in the world. One in 10 babies born in Australia today will develop a food allergy. As, Food Allergy Week coincides with Mother's Day this year we are highlighting the awesome work of Aussie Food Allergy mums and advocates.

Australia has the unfortunate title of "Food Allergy Capital of the World". Hospital admissions for severe allergic reactions quadrupled in the last 20 years, while alarmingly the number of allergy-related deaths in Australia is increasing by 10 per cent each year. Food Allergy Week, May 14-20 is an initiative of Allergy & Anaphylaxis Australia to raise awareness of food allergies in Australia.

In our Food Allergy Mum Interview Series, we hope to promote understanding and insight in to the challenges of parenting a child with life threatening food allergies, along with the need for change to build an allergy aware allergy safe commUNITY!

Jo Abi, Writer & Social Commentator

What are your child’s allergies? When did you find out?

My son Philip, 13, is allergic to egg and nuts. I found out when he was just five months old and had his first reaction after licking my finger when I had been eating schnitzel. I suspected egg but it took another reaction and skin prick testing for him to be diagnosed with anaphylactic food allergies.

What would be one of the most difficult aspects of daily living with food allergies?  Or one of the biggest challenges raising a child with food allergies? 

The fear is the most difficult part, knowing just one mouthful of the wrong food could kill him in minutes. Also the fact he is now a teenager and not always with me. It was easier when I controlled every move he made and every bite he took. Now I have to trust that he has learned enough to manage them himself. He's very allergy aware and sometimes remembers his EpiPen pack without me reminding him!

How important is the support of friends, family, and community?

It's very important because his friends look out for him and are EpiPen trained in the event he has a serious reaction and can't inject himself. They also sometimes slap food out of his hand until they check the ingredients for him! My mum and sister changed some family recipes so we can all eat together safely. And the support of other allergy mums has helped so much because people still treat us like paranoid idiots! Um sorry, just trying to keep my son alive.

What would you like other people to know about caring for a child with food allergies?  How can families who don’t live with food allergies be extra safe around your food allergic child?

I want them to know that we didn't choose this. He was born with this. It is an illness, one we have very little control over, an illness that can kill him. There is no cure. We need more sympathy and understanding. Also be allergy aware. Have lots of options for foods at events, keep packages so it's easy to check ingredients and communicate. We are more than happy to bring safe food if it's too hard or confusing to organise for us.

Do you have a proud mum moment (of your food allergic child?) that you would like to share?

Definitely. My son is undergoing food sensitivity training for egg. He has to eat a small amount each day to try and desensitise himself to it. It's uncomfortable and scary but he is being very brave. This is all under medical supervision and won't be an option with the nuts but if we can desensitise him to egg, even a little, we buy him more time in the event of a serious reaction.

What would be one piece of advice for parents who have a child with new food allergy diagnosis?

Talk to other allergy mums. Also do whatever makes YOU comfortable, what you feel keeps your child safe. Don't listen to anyone calling you paranoid or a helicopter parent. You know to trust your instincts and you will figure it out. You and your entire family are in it together and you can do it. Join all the Facebook groups. We are here for you.

Think of it much like teaching children how to cross the road. You are keeping them safe and teaching them and their siblings and family and friends as well

Do you have a favourite, safe for your family, recipe or meal idea to share? What's one of the first recipes you taught your kids to make?

Yes, our go-to is definitely dry pasta. It's so easy. Dry pasta (not fresh due to egg and not egg pasta due to...egg). With a lovely tomato sauce. Allergy friendly and easy to leave off cheese for kids with dairy allergies. We make lots so we can have it for breakfast as well!

How can we raise food allergy awareness in our communities?

All food service providers, educators and anyone who comes into contact with children needs to be trained in food allergy management, including those who are in the food service industry for adults. Mistakes happen, we understand that, but we all need to do whatever we can to prevent attacks and we all need to know that if someone stops breathing after taking a bite of food look for an EpiPen pack or grab one from a first aid kit (all first aid kits should have one) and administer it! Time is of the essence. 

Thanks for being a hardworking food allergy awareness advocate, and an inspiration. What inspires you?

What inspires me is every single story of an unnecessary death. It frustrates me because it always happens at a school camp or at a restaurant, at places where people should know better and be more aware. My son inspires me. We try and think positively and have a bit of a sense of humour about it. At least he's not allergic to chocolate! Some people are. And my allergy mum friend who taught me to release the fear as much as possible, saying, "If something happens, it happens. We'll deal with it." Wise, wise words.

Food allergies are on the increase in Australia and as with any other condition that results in death, we all need to be in it together. It's not an us vs them situation. I am continually staggered by how that is the case. You'd push my son out of the way of a car if it was about to hit him. Food allergy management is the exact same thing. 

Jo Abi currently writes for Mamamia.com.au and appears regularly on the Nine Network as a social commentator on Today, Today Extra and A Current Affair. She has three children, one of whom has food allergies, one who has autism and a daughter who makes incredible messes in the name of arts and crafts. Jo is working towards her Master of Children's Literature at Macquarie University having already gained her Master of Creative writing. She hopes for a cure for food allergies, acceptance for autism and true universal equality for one and all by the time her daughter is grown.