Mel Happ - 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!

Mel Happ, Food Allergy Blogger 

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

Dairy, eggs, kiwifruit, peanuts, treenuts, she was also allergic to soy until she was 3. Our now 5 year old daughter had her first anaphylactic reaction, to milk powder at 5 months of age.

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?

I have found one of the biggest challenges is giving our daughter the most "normal' life we can, having her partake in everything other kids her age do, and not feel like she is different, while still ensuring that she is safe and is able to be a strong self advocate, keeping herself safe also. The learning curve of our new relationship with food was steep, but manageable, and now it's just our new normal.

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

Support is absolutely essential, it was the reason why we moved interstate, to be closer to family. Our family provide us with support and a much needed break now and then, a "sleepover/adventure" for our daughter with Nanny & Poppy is a much valued recharge for hubby and I. We have also been so lucky to find a circle of friends where the other mums and kids are so supportive in ensuring our daughter is safe and included. Our 3yo & 4yo Kindergarten/Preschool teachers, parents and children have also been a valuable support and safe space for our daughter to grow and blossom.

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?

That we are not over protective helicopter parents who are micromanaging our children, we are just like every other parent, wanting the best for our little ones, we just happen to have a few extra things we need to think about to make sure our child is ok. Our spontaneous trips out take a bit more planning and preparation, we need to make sure we have what we call our "kit bag" that includes our daughters EpiPens, antihistamines, steroid creams, wipes, asthma pumps, safe treats. We like to know if where we are going will have food, so we can bring safe options so our kids don't feel left out. Personally I need to know, if we are going to a new town/area, where the closest hospital is. Ask questions, us "allergy mums" will generally have an idea on how we can help our child be included and safe at the same time. Invite our kids to the birthday party, we have been to parties where our daughter couldn't eat anything and others where she could eat everything, both parties had the same result, a super excited little girl loving playing with her friends, even if Mum was on high alert like a sniper!

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

At playgroup when our daughter was 2.5 years old, one of the parents offered her a sandwich from a platter, even though she had eaten the sandwiches every week for months, she didn't know where I was (I was in the kitchen making the sandwiches!!), she told the father "no thanks I don't know if they're safe for me, I need to check with my Mumma". I may have cried a few proud tears that morning!

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

You are not alone, and it will be ok. Reach out and find us, other "allergy mums" we are always at the ready for advice, information, a listening ear, or a hug.

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?

The Allergy Friendly Chocolate Cake has been a lifesaver, I make it into cakes, cupcakes, birthday cakes, it is a delicious chocolate cake without dairy, eggs, nuts, and can be easily swapped to be gluten free, our daughter loves making it with me. And to add another staple, chia pudding, delicious and a valuable source of calcium and protein, our daughter has had a few scoops with breakfast and dinner since she was 6 months old.

How can we raise food allergy awareness in our communities?

Education, at a community level, kinder/preschool/school level, and at a GP and Paediatrician level. Parents new to the food allergy world, need to be given more information than just "read these pamphlets and avoid these foods", and they need to know that there is a strong community of parents working hard to keep their kids safe, and to raise awareness of food allergies. I spoke to a TAFE class of early education students last year, and they were so appreciate of "real life" experiences and information, we need to keep the human touch in the information being given out, not just the facts and stats.

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

My daughter, she is so resilient, loving, full of life, and inspires me regularly with her willingness and ability to speak up for herself and question those around her, which to some may seem precocious at 5, but it gives me faith that she will manage, no matter what, as we all will.

Mel Happ (hence the Happ-y!) is a wife and mumma blogging, tweeting and sharing about food allergies and all things that make this happ-y mumma tick. Her daughter (2012 vintage) has severe food allergies. Mel realised after battling through the first 2 years of her daughter’s allergy journey that they needed more support than just their little family of 3, so they made the big move back to be closer to family in Country Victoria, NSW.  Mel is also an allergy friendly recipe creator, advocate and runs a food allergy support blog This Happ-y Mumma.

Grace O'Neill - 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!

Grace O'Neill, Children's author & Pediatric Counsellor

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

My oldest son is now 8. He was diagnosed at 9 months, after ongoing rashes. As a baby, he was at risk of anaphylaxis to 8 out of the top 9 allergens. He was also allergic to numerous other foods. He has since outgrown a number of his allergens and only reacts to cow’s milk, eggs, peanuts and most of the tree nuts. My younger son is now 4. He was diagnosed at 3 months old, with multiple non-IGE mediated allergies. I breastfed both of my kids until about 18 months age. Both of them required specific diets that were free from their allergens. Both our boys also suffer from asthma, although their asthma is now well controlled thanks to preventative medications.

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 never- ending cycle of having to cook, clean and cook again means that there is rarely a meal off, let alone a day off. We are also very careful about who looks after them apart from their dad and myself.

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

We have been surrounded by some very supportive friends and community. Just today we attended a birthday party, and since our son was unable to have the same lollies in his party bag, he was the only child to get OOSHIES instead. He was delighted! As I was explaining to my son that he might be able to have an icypole from the café, another friend rushed over to let me read the ingredients on her icypole. These kids are only 8, but they show remarkable compassion, understanding and support to our son.

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?

We don’t expect others to eat only the foods we eat. However, our friends have ensured that their children sit when they eat and wash up well afterwards to avoid contamination. We try not to focus on food when the kids are around. Instead, we focus on activities and having fun. This is something all the kids can share in!

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

There are many proud moments as an allergy mum. Most recently, my son began to advocate for himself, asking the teachers whether he could substitute certain ingredients to make it safe for him to participate. Although I did have interactions with the teachers too, he was able to make suggestions that were suitable for him. Just two weeks earlier he came back from school with a recipe for Anzac biscuits that he had copied out of a book. He had actually substituted Nuttelex for butter, to make it safe for him to eat. I believe effective allergy education has meant that both our boys are able to live a very full, social and fulfilling life, despite their allergies.

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

Join a community where you can ask questions and gain knowledge from others who have been there before. Facebook has lots of groups you can join, and gives us an opportunity to ask serious questions and occasionally just let off steam with others who understand. I facilitate a Facebook Group called Allergy Fun – Support. Topics range from food ideas, medical issues, social situations and even to social gatherings with local families. Although I run the group, there are many parents who contribute and whom I also learn things from.

How can we raise food allergy awareness in our communities?

I think we have made great head way in many areas of allergy awareness. However, I believe the social and emotional impact of food allergies is not often considered. Schools and Kinders can do a lot more to support our children in this area. This is the reason I wrote the book Allergy Fun – growing up with multiple food allergies

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

I didn’t choose to become an allergy mum, but being able to help others through personal counselling and group support gives meaning to the journey we are on. One of the most important parts of being an allergy parent is to make sure we take time out to rest, refuel and rejuvenate. Nobody can keep going all the time, and our kids need us to be well, both physically and mentally.

Grace O'Neill is a mother of two lovely boys. Her eldest is at risk of anaphylaxis to milk, eggs and all nuts, and her youngest has multiple food allergies. Grace is the author of food Allergy Fun, Growing up with Food Allergies designed for children with multiple food allergies. Grace is a trained counsellor and provides individual counselling for allergy parents and children. Allergy Fun is the coming together of her life with two allergy kids and her desire to see all kids develop into caring, confident and contributing members in our society. Allergies has taken our family's life on a different route than expected. Along the way, I have been blessed to meet many others who are on the same road, and by travelling together, we can encourage, laugh and cry, knowing we are not alone.

Jackie Nevard - 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!

Food Allergy Friend, Jackie Nevard

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

Thai’s allergies are milk, egg, dust and cat, he also has VKC (Vernal Keratoconjunctivitis) an allergic eye disease. He was first diagnosed at 9 months with seven food allergies, although we knew something was wrong at around 8 weeks of age. Unfortunately, it took seven doctors and health workers before Thai was given a correct diagnosis.

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?

As Thai has reached each developmental stage we have faced different challenges. When kids are little you teach them not to put food they find in their mouths and not to share food. For Thai, I think he is affected most by the social impact allergies have on him. He just wants to do and have what all his friends are doing or eating. Having a safe cake means he can participate, but he is still aware that this makes him different and he can’t be as carefree as his peers.

For me, the biggest challenge is school. Even with a school that has 26 kids with EpiPens, the first year was very hard. I don’t believe parents should have to battle to keep life-saving medicine in the classroom or justify why a 4-year-old shouldn’t carry a medical device. Why being excluded in the classroom is wrong and the list goes on. Every state should have guidelines for staff and schools to follow to avoid these daily battles. There should be allergy education in every school and childcare which is something I’m slowly changing with my Food Allergy Smart Program.

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

Support from the community is vital. In our community, many social occasions or celebrations, food is the focal point, which means kids with allergies can easily be excluded. It’s so easy to implement no food sharing, hand washing after eating, being allergy aware and providing non-food treats. When people actually stop and think how it would feel to be someone with a food allergy, they are often only too happy to help. Of course, not everyone gets it, I’ve always been a big believer that instead of running away from the problem or to pull the child out of the school/childcare if they don’t have good allergy management, it is far better to educate and change this for the better. If no one makes the change they want to see, nothing will improve and the next allergy family will only face the same battles and worse case, a child may be put in danger.

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?

It’s simple and so easy. In the work I do I teach all children to be Food Allergy Smart. We have 5 ways to help:

1 - Don’t share food with people that have allergies

2 - Don’t touch other people while eating

3 - Wash your hands after eating

4 - Tell an adult or teacher if your friend is having an allergic reaction

5 - Include your friends that have allergies

People shouldn’t underestimate number 5. So many kids are excluded from parties, play-dates, class celebrations and sleepovers. This has a big impact on a young child. I have also released a new book for parents, family and friends this year.

It’s important that if you are caring for a child with allergies whether you are a parent, grandparent or teacher, that you understand the basics, such as reading labels, the signs of an allergic reaction, cross-contamination and hidden allergens.

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

There are so many proud moments but a few that come to mind would be, how Thai takes everything in his stride. Thai has undergone immunotherapy this year to dust. This has meant having 17 weekly injections, which he has also had reactions to.  We are now onto monthly injections and he has never complained once!

Another proud moment was when he realised that his EpiPen hadn’t come with him to a specialist lesson at school.  His relief teacher wouldn’t let him go back to the classroom for it. Thai knows how important it is to have his EpiPen nearby at all times. (his particular school is large with over 1000 students) He thought outside the box and asked another teacher aside that knew him if he could go back and get it. It would be confronting to challenge a teacher, he knows the importance of his EpiPen and will advocate for himself now. Since having his first anaphylaxis reaction to milk at age 7, he is excellent at self-management of his EpiPen.

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

Don’t treat your child differently. Having food allergies mean we have to pre-plan everything but never let allergies define your child. Overcome problems together and give them the skills and confidence to manage their allergies as they grow.

How can we raise food allergy awareness in our communities?

We need to speak up and push for change if a policy is out of date or simply not the best way to do things. Teachers and educators are not experts at food allergies, by working together we can help teach them ways to keep our children safe. School is an ongoing process. Work with your teacher each year to ensure safe routines, inclusiveness and help them risk access planned activities out of the norm. Help share the Food Allergy Smart program, let your childcare or school know that we have resources and allergy sessions especially created to educate young children about food allergies.

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

Thank you for sharing the work I do Kylie, my little man inspires me every day and of course all the amazing food allergy friends I meet at my events.  Knowing that by educating ALL children I can make the world a safer place for children with allergies.  Food allergies are serious but learning about them can be fun!

Jackie Nevard is a hardworking food allergy awareness advocate, mum of two and author of the children's educational series My Food Allergy Friends. She runs her popular allergy awareness educational sessions aimed at all children, across Australia and New Zealand. Navigating the challenges we all face being a food allergy parent Jackie has turned this to her advantage and uses her real life experiences to help others.

Find out more about Jackie and My Food Allergy Friends

Sarah Gray - 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!

Sarah Gray, Charity Founder & Advocate

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

Bella has anaphylaxis risk allergies to milk, egg, fish and chicken. She also has a rare allergic disease called eosinophilic oesophagitis (EoE) to which her additional known food triggers are wheat, soy and peanut. She was diagnosed at 18 months old with EoE and had her first severe allergic reaction to egg at age 3 (contact reaction, not from eating egg).

What would be one of the most difficult aspects of daily living with food allergies? 

Always having to be prepared for everywhere you go with food and EpiPen and always having to think before you eat or cook. Every time. You can’t safely do these tasks as an autopilot Mum! You’d think you would be able to after 12 years practice, but no, autopilot Mum has grabbed the wrong milk to top up an icing before and then noticed just in the nick of time!

What is one of the biggest challenges raising a child with food allergies? 

In our family the biggest challenge has been (and still is) the mental health impact. It affects everyone in the family, including those in the family that don’t have any allergies (I have a second daughter Olivia who is 11).

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

Bella’s a Cheerleader and I’m pretty vocal about how proud I am about that! She has been on an elemental formula since her EoE diagnosis and this supplements her limited diet. She had it through a gastrostomy feeding tube from age 7 – 11. She had her feeding tube removed because she was so dedicated to Cheerleading she wanted to go back to drinking her formula again so she could do more advanced stunts. If anyone reading this has had a child on elemental formula they will understand what a big deal it is to have a teenager still willing and able to drink the formula!

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

Please tell your kids about their allergy, explain it fully from a very young age so they understand exactly what they are allergic to, what their allergen looks like, what the other ingredient names of them are, what might happen in an allergic reaction etc. This is equally important for kids that have been allergic from when they were diagnosed very young and they have just grown up with their allergy and therefore that is all they know so the sit down moment explaining it to them might not have happened. You’ve got to get the balance right though so they don’t live in constant fear. Let them know about it but then explain what you are all going to do to prevent an allergic reaction. Include them in reading the ingredient labels, helping them to be responsible to always remember their EpiPen before going anywhere, hand washing, letting their friends know etc. It sounds like this would be obvious but I have come across kids over the years (as has Bella) who have allergies but do not really understand what this means for them.

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?

I run a Facebook page called Australian Allergy Friendly Finds and I’m always sharing my favourite family recipes on that page. I also share allergy friendly products and foods we find, cafes/restaurants… basically anything that has helped us in living with food allergies and I hope others find it helpful to them too.

How can we raise food allergy awareness in our communities? 

By participating in campaigns like Allergy & Anaphylaxis Australia’s Food Allergy Week. I love their Paint one Nail initiative! For awareness for eosinophilic disorders I invite you to check out our ausEE Inc. website (www.ausee.org) In 2009 I founded ausEE Inc., which is the national charity providing support and information to those with eosinophilic gastrointestinal disorders (EGID) including EoE. Each year we host Top 8 Challenge Day on the 8/8 to raise funds for research into eosinophilic disorders. For one meal or for the whole day we ask people to not eat any of the top 8 common allergenic foods (milk, egg, wheat, soy, peanut, tree nuts, shellfish and fish) and gain an insight into the life of someone living with an eosinophilic disorder and multiple food allergies. Initiatives like this help to raise awareness, it may only be for a day or a week but has the potential to have carry on effects that last the whole year! Empathy is the greatest gift of all!

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

Both my daughters inspire me, more than what I can put into words!

Sarah Gray is the Founder and current President of ausEE Inc.,a charity that supports families effected by EGID disorders, raises awareness and fundraising for research. She also works part time in local government in finance and procurement. Sarah’s goal is to make sure that anyone who suffers from an EGID can turn to ausEE for support and to help raise critical awareness of the condition in all of Australia. She has two daughters, one of which (Bella) suffers from food allergies and EoE and who was the catalyst for forming the organisation in November 2009. She is an active food allergy awareness advocate and voice, and runs a food allergy support page Australian Allergy Friend Finds 

Find out more 

Find out more about Sarah and the work of ausEE

Support the EOS awareness & Top 8 Challenge