Anaphylaxis Campaign

Supporting people at risk of severe allergies

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My story – Thalina Houghton, 16

Thalina Houghton from Daventry, Northamptonshire, shares her experience of being diagnosed and living with the threat of anaphylaxis at 16 years old.

The nurse shaped words which were foreign to my ears. ‘Anaphylaxis. It’s a severe all-‘ as the words left her tongue, I remember a gale of questions swarming at me in all directions. Leaving the outpatients ward with nothing but an adrenaline auto-injector and a growing series of questions, little did I know, I had embarked on one heck of an allergy journey…

Hello, I am Thalina Houghton, sixteen years of age and I have multiple severe allergies. The scenario I mentioned above was when I got my first diagnosis of anaphylaxis. At the time, I had no idea what that meant or what it consisted of and I feel many others will or would have left the clinic with the same questions as I did. ‘How will this affect me?’ or ‘Will I ever have to use this pen thing?’ to mention a couple. The best advice I can offer for anyone feeling like they were in a similar position as I was in – confused, worried, concerned – is to remember YOU ARE NOT ALONE.Thalina Houghton

There are so many living with anaphylaxis and being told you have a condition which is potentially fatal, will of course spur some queries and worry but you are not in this journey alone. Charities such as the Anaphylaxis Campaign are amazing at ensuring you get support and a helping hand if you feel you’re struggling. Gratefully, the Anaphylaxis Campaign provide support groups across the country where other allergy sufferers open up about their personal experiences and exchange useful tips. Other means of support they offer are Allergy Buddies. They provide support on a one to one basis, this can be done either via email or on the phone, something I’d highly recommend if you’re a parent to a child with allergies. Their team are there to help and don’t ever feel ashamed for reaching out. You’re doing what you need to, to adjust to this new diagnosis. You’ve got this!

Admittedly, I find the most difficult part of living with anaphylaxis to be the spontaneous, random reactions. Over half of my shocks are due to a trigger unknown – commonly known as idiopathic anaphylaxis. As much as I try to rack my brain of a possible cause, I’m commonly left pondering why my body reacted when it did. What had I been exposed to? With these reactions becoming frequent, I found myself avoiding certain environments or situations where I thought there was risk. Realising this approach to living with anaphylaxis was placing barriers mentally, I came to terms with the fact that no area or situation will be completely risk free. There will always be a fraction of risk. I soon switched my mindset from ‘what if I react?’ to ‘I know exactly what to do if it happens.’ It’s so vital not be consumed by your allergy and give it the power to dictate. There will always be an element of risk but how you manage and adjust to that is so important. Adapt, not avoid.

Living with anaphylaxis has impacted my life but it has developed me as a person in numerous ways. I am beyond grateful for the opportunities it’s allowed me to do and hope I can inspire others to be vocal about their allergy.

Thank you, Anaphylaxis Campaign, for giving me the opportunity to share my story and for continuously providing support to those living with anaphylaxis. Remember, you are never alone. You’ve got this!

Thalina Houghton – Allergies In Bold

Living with a Severe Nut Allergy – Rosie Brandreth-Poynter

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Living with a nut allergy, and, subsequently, my little sister’s nut allergy drove my passion for baking, and, ultimately my decision to apply for the Great British Bake Off.

When I was five years old, I had an anaphylactic reaction, and was diagnosed with a severe nut allergy. Allergies were a lot less common in the early 90s, and there were very few baked goods I could eat….cue deciding to make them myself (sorry Mum!). I made the almightiest mess in the kitchen every weekend without fail. I started with simple bakes; with muffins and brownies, but then got more adventurous, leading to my rather distressed parents finding me deep frying doughnuts in their wok, full to the brim with oil, over naked flames!

While on holiday in Devon, my sister had her first reaction, to a bag of chocolate labelled ‘may contain traces of nuts’, we had no idea she had an allergy at this point and the experience was very scary. I was old enough (10 years old) to understand what was happening this time, and, seeing my little sister struggling to breathe was horrific. Lydia (my sister) was then also diagnosed with a nut allergy.

When we were children, schools and groups didn’t really understand allergy in the same way they do now. On a school trip to a chocolate factory, I was given a large sign to wear saying ‘nut allergy, do not feed’, this was not a lot of fun! I did however think it was brilliant when the school dinners contained nuts (in a pudding) so I was given a choc ice instead; I didn’t understand how dangerous it was that nuts were being handled in the school kitchens still.

Secondary school was a bit easier; I volunteered to make cakes for ‘Cake Fridays’ as often as possible, partly because I loved baking, but also so I wouldn’t be left out. Some teachers at this point were bringing in alternatives for my sister and I, which we were very grateful for. However, when the French trip came along, I was told I couldn’t go as they wouldn’t be able to cater for me, and I wouldn’t be able to join in with activities involving buying food from the markets. In general, schools are doing much better these days, but I still get messages from teenagers and parents of children who aren’t being accommodated for.

Feeling excluded is definitely a common theme with allergies. When I started university, there were lots of social events at cheap curry restaurants where I couldn’t eat anything. Not wanting to always sit them out, I would go along, but be continually explaining why I wasn’t eating anything and why I’d brought my own glass for the wine!

As an adult, there are still difficulties living with an allergy. For example, all the companies I spoke to about making a nut free wedding cake charged a premium for this making it even more expensive. In the end, my brilliant friends made our cake instead. I have made several free from wedding cakes for other people since.

Applying to the Great British Bake Off felt like a slightly pointless activity; they were never going to take someone with an allergy over thousands of easier to manage applicants. I was completely upfront about my allergy, and about what I could and couldn’t do from the start; I am ok with nuts in the same room (other than Brazil nuts) but I couldn’t bake with them or handle them myself. The team were brilliant, phoning me several times to check exactly what I could do, and then, I got the best call ever – to say I’d made it into the tent!

When I arrived at the famous tent, I was taken aside and shown the ‘nut tent’. This was a separate marquee set up with a wash station, fridge and storage for all my ingredients and equipment. This tent, along with the lovely ‘nut runner’, complete with customised t-shirt was a carefully monitored system to ensure my ingredients and bowls etc were never contaminated. Only the nut runner was allowed to clean down my bench after bakes (with separate products). The home economics and food production teams were so helpful in sourcing all my ingredients from trusted brands, and also making sure all the ingredients for the technical challenges were completely safe. There were also no nuts on site, in the catering or crew snacks. The medic on set was brilliant, fully equipped to deal with an anaphylactic reaction, and checked in with me regularly.

I cannot thank them enough for giving me the opportunity and making such a careful plan for me.

I am now focusing on producing a range of recipes free from nuts, but also dairy free, egg free and gluten free so everyone can join in!

Skydive for the Anaphylaxis Campaign in Memory of Megan Lee

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Olivia and Megan (left), Olivia and Olivia Staveley (right)

Olivia Walmsley and her friend Olivia Staveley, both 16 years old, are due to complete a skydive on Saturday 31st August, in memory of their friend Megan Lee.

Megan tragically passed away, at just 15 years of age, after ordering a takeaway meal online which contained peanuts from the Royal Spice Indian in Lancashire. Since Megan died, her family and friends have worked tirelessly to raise awareness of Anaphylaxis and the work of the Anaphylaxis Campaign, the only UK charity operating solely for the growing numbers of people at risk from severe allergic reactions.

Here Olivia Walmsley tells the story of her friendship with Megan and the reason behind why she wants to take part in the skydive.

“When I was 12 years old, I decided I wanted to pursue my hobby of performing. There was a theatre, local to me, where React Academy of Theatre Arts was holding auditions for a junior production of ‘The Little Mermaid’ and I decided I wanted to go along. I was extremely nervous as I didn’t really know anyone and I’d never done anything like it before so I didn’t know what to expect. When I arrived, I hadn’t been there long at all when I met a quiet but lovely girl who introduced herself to me as Megan.

Time passed and I soon came to realise that Megan actually wasn’t all that quiet and was actually hilarious, crazy and silly but still of course lovely and kind. She made me feel so welcome and excited about taking part in the production. She made all my nerves disappear and helped me to realise my love of performing. As a result, I started to take classes at the theatre and joined the drama and musical theatre classes that Megan also attended.

Megan very quickly became a close and trusted friend of mine. We continued to do shows together at React Academy and I created some of my favourite memories that now I look back on and smile. Every minute of every rehearsal and performance was filled with laughter. As we began to grow up together, we became closer and closer and would meet every week before our drama class to get a milkshake from across the road. Without realising it, Megan became the friend I went to when I needed advice or when I had a problem or even just when I needed help with a dance routine we’d learnt together and she would always help, support and be there for me no matter what.

At the point when I felt Megan and myself were the closest we’d ever been I went to sleep one night expecting to see Megan the next day. I woke early the next morning with the news that on that night on New Year’s Eve (beginning the year 2017) Megan had eaten a meal from a takeaway and suffered an allergic reaction. The reaction was so severe that she was sent into an Anaphylactic shock from which she did not survive. In this moment, I felt my heart physically break and I could not believe this was happening and that I had lost my friend.

I continued to attend my classes and participate in the shows at React Academy but every time I stepped and still do step through the door to the theatre I wish she was there waiting for me; that we were about to go and create more amazing memories together but cruelly and tragically that can’t happen. I don’t want anyone else to feel the way I felt when I was told Megan had died.

Before Megan’s passing, I didn’t even know allergies could be life-threatening. I had no idea of the severity of an anaphylactic shock which is why I am making every effort I can to raise money and awareness of allergies and The Anaphylaxis Campaign. This time by pushing myself massively out of my comfort zone and doing something completely terrifying.

I will be skydiving out of a plane with my amazing friend Olivia Staveley who I am so glad is doing this skydive with me as I know I wouldn’t have the guts to do it alone. After the death of Megan, I do not think I could have coped without Olivia by me. She was and still is patient, understanding and supportive and helped me so much during the worst time of my life when I tried to cope with the horror of an unexpected death of a true friend and an amazing young lady. Olivia and I are going to do this skydive together for The Anaphylaxis Campaign, we are going to do it for Megan and we are going to do it for everyone else who suffers with the symptoms or the consequences of allergies”.

 

If you’d like to support the girls with their incredible skydive which will help raise awareness for the Anaphylaxis Campaign, you can donate via their JustGiving page.

A Mother’s Experience of Raising Awareness of Allergies in School

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Sheetal, mother of Sia and Vian, aged 4 and 6 who both have allergies, has worked closely with the Anaphylaxis Campaign, using our resources and information to improve awareness of allergies at her children’s school and developing a mutually supportive relationship.

Here she shares her feelings and experiences about that journey.

Sia, aged 6 and Vian aged 4 both have allergies. With Sia being anaphylactic to dairy, nuts and peanuts, Sheetal expressed her concerns about Sia starting school in 2016.

“1 week before Sia started school, I was very anxious about her inability to express how she was feeling when suffering from a reaction. I arranged a meeting with our chosen school beforehand. In the meeting I explained Sia’s allergies and symptom and gave a demonstration as to how to use her adrenaline auto-injectors using trainer pens and encouraged staff to take up anaphylaxis training.”

“I provided staff with a personalised drawstring bag with a photo of Sia on it, this was labelled with her condition and an emergency phone alongside a care plan. I also took the time to work with the catering and lunchtime staff to make sure they understood what to do in an emergency.”

Whilst this process was time consuming and at times challenging, Sheetal feels that it helped her to establish a mutually supportive relationship with the school and reassure her that they were fully equipped to deal with her daughters’ allergies.

Sheetal worked alongside the school, with regular meetings to ensure that the processes were maintained, and risks were managed. To further raise awareness, Sheetal coordinated a fundraising event in support of The Anaphylaxis Campaign In June 2019, holding assemblies using the KS1 and KS2 assembly presentations and resources and following this up with a mufti day, in which children donated £1 and wore a wristband or orange wig to show their support for Anaphylaxis Awareness Week.

Sheetal praised the Anaphylaxis Campaign’s fundraising team in being pivotal in making sure the awareness raising and fundraising events were a success.

“I had parents telling me how impressed they were that their children learnt so much in the assemblies and how they associated the orange wigs to ‘allergy day’ at school! At such a young age and especially at the age of 3 and 4 that is amazing!”

Now that Vian is about to start school, Sheetal feels much more confident in how to manage his allergies.

Her top tips for engaging schools in better allergy management practices and increase awareness of allergies are as follows:

  1. Ensure that you arrange a meeting with the school before finalising your choice to ensure the school will be happy to meet your child’s needs.
  2. Arrange a meeting with the head, welfare officer and teacher once you have been offered a place to discuss your child’s needs and how the school can help.
  3. Ensure you have a detailed medical plan with a clearly labelled medical bag that stands out and has everything your child may need in emergency. Make sure that this is easily accessible to staff.
  4. Have a medical bracelet made for your child – this could help save their life in the event they are unable to communicate what is happening to them.
  5. Keep in regular contact with the school and with the teacher on a daily basis – a home/school book for written communication could help with this.
  6. Teach your child to read ingredients as soon as they are able to read.
  7. Be safer with a packed lunch and / or meet with the catering team to see what they can offer.
  8. Volunteer on the school trips if possible.
  9. Spread the word to class friends and parents – more awareness is always a good thing and it’s better to be safe than sorry! This can be encouraged through play dates.
  10. Communicate as much as possible about allergies and the support available from charities such as The Anaphylaxis Campaign to raise much needed awareness and support

 

Anaphylaxis Campaign’s resources to help schools be allergy aware

As part of our Making Schools Safer Project, we have been in contact with over 28,000 schools in the UK to give them access to our free resources including;

  • Our online e-learning course AllergyWise for Schools which is designed to ensure that all staff:
    • Understand how to safeguard children with allergies.
    • Are fully aware of the signs and symptoms of anaphylaxis.
    • Know how to provide emergency treatment.
  • Our KS1-2 Schools allergy awareness resource pack which is designed to facilitate an allergy awareness session for infant and primary school age children.
  • Our KS3-5 Schools allergy awareness resource pack which is designed to facilitate an allergy awareness presentation for secondary school age children.

The Anaphylaxis Campaign believes it is vital for all schools to not only have training for all staff but to also raise pupil’s awareness of the seriousness of living with a food allergy. We hope our resources will support this and help schools become more allergy aware.

All our schools’ resources are available to view and download on our website:

Fundraising

For information on fundraising for the Anaphylaxis Campaign at school, please see here.

We can provide advice and encouragement as well as supply sponsor forms and literature about the Campaign to assist with your fundraising events. Please contact us via [email protected] to discuss your plans.

Helpline

If you have any concerns or questions, please contact our helpline team at [email protected] or call 01252 542029 for support from 9am-5pm, Monday to Friday.

Daniel Kelly – Tips for Managing University with an Allergy

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Starting university, especially with an allergy, can be daunting. It’s usually your first time moving away from home, and University is filled with new experiences, as well as new friends and flatmates who don’t yet know about your allergy. It’s important to reduce your risk of allergic reaction, but there’s no need to worry – I graduated from the University of Huddersfield in 2015 after studying Graphic Design, and I’m here to reassure you that your allergy shouldn’t get in the way of your University experience this September.

I thought long and hard about what I, as someone with a severe nut allergy, would want to know in your position. So here are my top tips…

Be vocal about your allergy

When I moved into my student accommodation I was living with eight complete strangers – it was quite scary at first, but after a few days I settled in and got to know my housemates. It’s so important to tell your new housemates about your allergy so they understand how serious it is, and more importantly, to make sure they always clean up after themselves so there’s no cross-contamination in the kitchen. Which brings me to my second point…

Sharing a kitchen 

Students are renowned for being messy but it’s especially important that your housemates clean up after themselves if they cook with something you’re allergic to. When I moved into my student accommodation, I brought a mini fridge along with me to keep in my room. This made me feel a lot more at ease, knowing there wouldn’t be cross-contamination in the communal fridge, so I’d definitely suggest doing this if you can.

Get a trainer pen

I would recommend getting hold of a tester adrenaline auto-injector (AAI) so you can educate your housemates on what it is and how to use it. I found that other students were really understanding and curious to find out about it, and showing them what to do if you have a severe allergic reaction is much better than simply telling them as they could forget. You could also leave a spare AAI in your kitchen cupboard so they know where one is at all times, just in case.

Catered or self-catered accommodation?

Some halls of residence come with a catering team, and if you’re thinking about taking advantage of this, make sure to call beforehand to check they cater for people with allergies. I decided to go self-catering so I would have more control and could be sure that what I was eating was safe. I wanted to reduce my anxiety as I’ve always felt safer cooking food myself, so if you’re the same, I’d recommend self-catering.

Watch out for cocktails that contain nuts

There were a number of times where cocktails nearly caught me out and I was so close to having an allergic reaction. Once at university my friend ordered me a drink which contained a few different spirits, so I decided to double check with the bar staff to see if it contained nuts. I was surprised to hear it contained almonds, but it showed me you should always go with your gut feeling.

What was even more shocking was that after that, another student swiped my drink from the bar and took a sip. I later found out, through a friend, that she had a nut allergy too and had an allergic reaction. Please never take someone else’s drink from the bar because you don’t know whether it contains nuts, or if the person who drank it last recently ate nuts – it’s definitely not worth the risk. Also, always check with the bar staff when drinking cocktails, and if you’re not confident with their response, try to speak to the manager instead.

Should you ask someone if they’ve eaten nuts on a night out?

Freshers is just around the corner – that usually involves alcohol and meeting lots of new people. There might be a time when you’ve just met a girl/guy, you’re getting on really well… should you ask them if they’ve eaten nuts or not?!

If someone has just eaten nuts and you go in for a kiss, you’re most likely going to have an allergic reaction; I’ve heard of this happening to other allergy sufferers. My advice to you is to always ask. I’d usually ask in a jokey way and they would just laugh it off and say they haven’t eaten nuts – it’s always better to be safe than sorry.

 

To sum up, going to university with an allergy shouldn’t be scary, it’s a fun and exciting time where you meet lots of new people and make amazing memories that stay with you for a lifetime. Just remember to always be vocal about your allergy, and never feel embarrassed to speak up about it – I promise you, people are very understanding when you explain to them why it’s so serious.

Finally, always go with your gut feeling. If you feel that bar or restaurant staff don’t understand how serious your allergy is, then don’t eat or drink there. My gut feeling has saved me a lot in the past – I always trust it because nine times out of ten it’s right!

If you want to find out more about living with an allergy make sure to check out my Instagram at @_maycontain or also find more content on my blog at https://www.may-contain.com/ Make sure to check out all the amazing content on Anaphylaxis at https://www.anaphylaxis.org.uk/schools/universities/allergies-at-university/

22-year-old student from the UK shares her dangerous experiences while eating out in Argentina

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I am a 22-year-old student from the UK, sending you an update from my year abroad in Buenos Aires, Argentina. I am a peanut allergy sufferer and wanted to share a couple of dangerous experiences I’ve had here, to warn you about things that you might not have considered when travelling with allergies.

I would say that I am quite proficient in Spanish; I lived in Madrid for a bit and I feel comfortable asking in restaurants whether dishes contain “cacahuetes”, “nueces” or “frutos secos” (to cover all bases). However, I didn’t know that in Argentina, the common word for peanuts is “maní”. So, on my second day in the country, I picked up a pot of hummus from the supermarket, not realising that it contained peanuts, and had my first ever oral reaction to peanuts in the 15 years that I’ve known about my allergy. I am usually extremely careful about checking ingredients, but on this odd occasion I didn’t bother because I never would have expected to find peanuts in hummus! It’s not something that you’d find in the UK. When my mouth started feeling strange, I went to check the ingredients of the hummus – just in case – and the only ingredient I didn’t recognise was “pasta de maní”. I looked it up and it meant “peanut paste”. I was shocked. I was also freaking out because I was alone in a foreign country and didn’t know whether I was ill enough to use an EpiPen. Luckily, the reaction calmed down after a couple of hours and my body rejected the peanuts by vomiting. Whether you want to blame me for my reaction or not, the two things I learned from this experience are 1) to ask for the local names of your allergens even if you think you know the language, eg. Spanish used in Spain is different to Spanish in Argentina and 2) don’t assume that the products you can buy in the UK will be exactly the same as the ones abroad – you may be surprised to find your allergen in something you never would have expected.

There’s a local café that I frequent in Buenos Aires, and I always ask whether the dishes contain nuts. The first time I had pesto pasta there, I asked, they said no, and I was fine. The second time I had the pesto pasta, I didn’t ask, because I assumed that it would contain the same ingredients. I immediately started feeling ill, and, knowing how I reacted to the hummus a few weeks earlier, I was certain that the pesto must have contained peanuts. I asked the waitress about what I’d just eaten, and she assured me that the dish didn’t contain peanuts. Still not convinced by this, I asked to speak to the chef, and he told me that sometimes, when they run out of certain ingredients, they replace them with peanuts. On this occasion, he had replaced pine nuts with peanuts, and that is why I had the reaction. Again, you can blame me for not checking when I ordered, but the staff didn’t even know that the chef had changed the ingredients so I still would have had the reaction! Therefore, I want to warn you to be extra careful if you come to Argentina, as restaurants don’t have allergy lists like they do in the UK. I don’t know if it’s common to replace ingredients with peanuts in other countries as well, but be aware that this could happen to you, too. Don’t assume that ingredients always stay the same. If you’re worried about a dish, double-check with the staff in the restaurant, and if you’re still not convinced, ask to speak to the chef to clarify BEFORE you order a dish.

Having said that, the most recent reaction I had in a café came about even after I had double checked with the staff about the ingredients. I ordered a milkshake that came with wafers on top as decoration. The wafers, as I later found out, were not filled with dulce de leche but with peanut butter! When I asked the staff to confirm the ingredients whilst I was reacting (in case I was reacting to a nut I didn’t previously know I was allergic to), they realised that they did not, in fact, know what was in the milkshake and couldn’t confirm the ingredients. They were absolutely hopeless in the café and didn’t offer any help despite it potentially being a medical emergency. I returned a week later (it took me all that time to recover from the reaction) to speak to the manager. I asked to see the packaging for the wafers and other decorations on the milkshake I’d ordered, and the wafers clearly said that they had a peanut butter filling. I was shocked. I explained how dangerous it was and the importance of the staff knowing all the ingredients so that it never happens again. I wrote in their book of complaints and they promised to contact me to “resolve” the situation, which they didn’t. I was barely offered an apology. This just goes to show how careless people can be and how the standards can differ from country to country. The staff were completely ignorant and lied to me about the ingredients – they didn’t seem to care about the repercussions or show any empathy. Now I don’t feel that I can place my trust in restaurant staff wherever I go.

I honestly feel so blessed to have survived these 3 oral reactions, considering I was previously told I was anaphylactic. Others of you might have even more extreme reactions, so let my experiences be a warning to you all to be more careful when checking ingredients abroad, and to carry your medication with you everywhere.

 

Visit our travel section for information

Two young girls from St Ninian’s High School show extreme courage as they take centre stage and host presentations to fellow pupils and teachers about living with allergies

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Living with allergies isn’t something you should be concerned about talking to others about. In fact, being open and talking about the allergies you are living with could make things easier. The more people who have knowledge of the day to day struggles and the potentially fatal consequences, the better it will be for everyone. This is certainly something two brave young girls from St Ninian’s High school in East Renfrewshire thought.

Martha, aged 12 who has an allergy to peanuts and Holly, aged 17 who has allergies to milk (protein), nuts and avocado showed extreme courage as they spoke about their allergies to fellow pupils and teachers. The girls felt it was important to share their daily experiences and knowledge. The aim was to raise awareness and to educate the people around them about severe allergies, in the hope that anyone living with allergies would feel a little safer and less embarrassed.

The presentation covered a variety of facts from; what is an allergy, how allergic reactions happen, common allergens, symptoms, and treatment including medication and how to use it. They even had a few willing volunteers to demonstrate how to administer an adrenaline auto-injector using a training device. On top of the facts, they also spoke about understanding the effect of teasing has on young people. They showed their peers how to help instead – for example helping their friends remember their kit. A short video produced by Aimmune Therapeutics, “Leo’s story” was included to help the pupils understand how hard it is to live with an allergy.

Martha says, “I was being teased and so were some of my friends with severe allergies. I wanted people to realise that this isn’t a joke and it doesn’t define all of me. I hoped that if people understood how serious allergies can be, then they wouldn’t tease.”

Holly says, “Many of the teachers were impressed with the delivery and they were glad we did the talk and I personally feel more confident, and safer.”

It is important to understand how teasing can be upsetting but to tease someone about a medical condition cannot be excused.

The support the girls had from family members, friends, and teachers at St Ninian’s High School was amazing. Offers of help and encouragement came throughout the process. Paula, Martha’s mother, who is a volunteer for the Anaphylaxis Campaign, downloaded our Schools Allergy Awareness Resource Pack, which formed the base of the presentation.

Mr. John Docherty, Head Teacher said “Martha and Holly’s presentation was excellent and very well received by all pupils and staff. It was clearly on a subject that was very personal to them and their passion was evident for all to see. The presentation was extremely informative about the signs of anaphylaxis and what to do should you be with someone who has an allergy. We are very proud of both Holly and Martha who showed exceptional leadership of their peers and teachers.”

Before the presentation, the general knowledge of allergies and their effects was very low amongst the pupils. The girls aim to educate fellow pupils was a real success as their presentation was well received with lots of positive feedback. Comments included; “very educational, I understand that teasing can result in less confidence and we have the necessary information to quickly and safely respond in an emergency”. Due to this positive and well-executed presentation, the schools have also asked for Paula to hold separate presentations for all the staff.

One 12-year-old pupil said: “I really enjoyed the presentation as it taught me how to possibly save a friends life if they have anaphylaxis and I didn’t know that you could be allergic to such a wide range of products”

Not everyone will feel that doing presentations to large groups is within their reach, but even talking to their friends or people they hang around with goes a long way to achieving great awareness. Both Martha and Holly not only feel a sense of achievement but also feel safer in the school environment knowing that the pupils around them understand the seriousness of allergies and how to help in an emergency.

“We are so proud of them for their courage but also that they have shown other young people who are just as self-conscious and embarrassed that they can be confident, brave and unashamed.” Said Paula McMahon, Martha’s mother.

Both the girls believe that you must try to be confident in talking to other people about your allergy. People can’t help or understand if they don’t know about severe allergies. Always carry your kit with you, it can save your life and don’t let it hold you back.

22/02/2019

Stephanie talks to us about how glitter has helped her educate children all about severe allergies in her bid to improve allergy awareness in schools

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In July of 2016, Stephanie and her family made the big move from Canada to Cardiff. For anyone, moving across oceans and time zones is an adjustment but for Stephanie there was another element to consider, her son William’s severe allergies.

Stephanie’s idea of raising awareness of severe allergies and anaphylaxis in schools began when William started school in Cardiff. ‘The allergy game in Canada is completely different, in schools there was training for all staff on how to use Adrenaline Auto Injectors and children are educated about the seriousness of allergies.’ Stephanie felt that when William first started his new school there was a lack of awareness around severe allergies, with William at times being excluded from activities where his allergens may be present. Understanding that education would be the key to improving this, Stephanie sat down with William and asked if he would be happy for her to speak in schools about creating a safer environment for all children with severe allergies. ‘I’m not trying to change the world to adjust to William’s allergies but instead raising awareness and empathy.’

With an idea in place to approach local schools and do a presentation on how everyone can keep those with severe allergies safe, Stephanie approached the Anaphylaxis Campaign with her plan. From here, Stephanie, with the help of the Campaign’s Information Team, developed a PowerPoint which helped create a Schools Allergy Awareness Pack. With the presentation ready, Stephanie started contacting local schools and offered to facilitate an allergy awareness lesson. With four lessons completed and more confirmed Stephanie is well on the way to achieving her goal of educating both children and staff of the seriousness of allergies and anaphylaxis.

Stephanie has come up with creative ways of teaching these subjects and has found materials to be her greatest friend. ‘I realised I needed visual tools to engage the children. I used glitter to highlight cross contamination by getting the children to put it on their hands and then shake each other’s hand to show how allergies can travel and why it is so important to wash your hands’. This great idea along with the PowerPoint and other activities sheets has enabled the children to learn all about allergies and how they can help not only other children who may be affected by these but also their teachers. ‘When there are thirty children in the class a teacher can’t keep an eye on all of them at once, teaching children the signs and symptoms of an allergic reaction enables them to notice if their friend is looking unwell and tell the teacher who can help’.

When asked what sort of things she hears a lot, Stephanie said that the children have asked if anyone can have an allergy. Stephanie mentions how referring to celebrities who have allergies is a great answer for this and also shows how it doesn’t have to stop anyone from doing anything, it just means you have to be a bit more careful. When asked if she has seen an impact from her lessons, Stephanie mentioned how William’s best friend, who like William is just six, has been great in telling his parents that they need to know how to use his Adrenaline Auto Injector and when William is round that they should avoid eating anything with his allergens in.

It is clear from talking to Stephanie that her son William has been a great driving force in the fantastic work she has been doing. ‘I am a mum of a child with allergies trying to make the world a bit better for him, allergies are not feared in our house.’ It certainly seems that William thinks his mum is great and has told Stephanie how proud he is of her. Armed with this and an ambition to keep going, Stephanie is keen to not only carry on her work within primary schools but is also hoping to start work on a presentation that can be used in secondary schools.

When asked what she would say to other people who would like to do a similar thing, Stephanie said ‘If I can do it, anyone can. Hearing the words ‘mum I’m proud’ makes the months of work all worthwhile. Even if you go into just one school you are raising awareness of allergies to those who may not know much about them’.

We can’t thank Stephanie enough for all the amazing work she has been doing. Here at the Anaphylaxis Campaign, we think Stephanie is an inspiration and cannot wait to see her continue her fantastic work!

Aadam talks to us about how some careful forward planning and having a plan led to him going on the trek of a lifetime through the Wahabi desert

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Travelling to the far corners of the world has never been more accessible; the thought of being able to experience new cultures, push yourself out of your comfort zone and take on ‘bucket list’ style challenges has seen some of us reaching for the passport and packing a bag. However, when you’re living with a severe allergy to nuts, going on a trip of a lifetime can be a daunting prospect.

Going on a ten-day trek through the Wahabi desert would be a challenge for most of us with 4am wake up calls, five hours of walking a day and being miles away from civilisation. 16-year-old Aadam had another thing to think about on top on this, a severe allergy to nuts. Aadam is a pupil at The Manchester Grammar School, when we asked why he chose this school trip Aadam’s response was simple “I hadn’t been on a trek like this and I wanted to make the most of this opportunity”. Aadam had been on many of his school’s trips in the past including visits to New York, Spain and Washington DC. This however was a new ball game and one that required some incredibly careful planning.

First of all, how would Aadam store his life saving medication? Aadam knew that his medication needed to be stored at a certain temperature in an air tight container and opened each night to let fresh cool air into the flask; “I kept my adrenaline pen and anti-histamine in a flask, a really good flask”. Aadam’s mum Rozina had an idea to test whether or not the flask would work and with the help of the biology department at the school they put its ability to the test; ”I knew the biology department had an incubator, we decided to put the flask in the incubator at 30 degrees for 8 hours”, Aadam said. The test was a success and Aadam was over the first hurdle. Anaphylaxis Campaign always recommends speaking to your GP or pharmacist before you travel regarding your specific medication*

With Aadam trekking for five hours non-stop a day it was recommended that he would need to consume 2,800 calories. Aadam’s friends all knew about his allergies and as a precaution for his safety, the school had requested that no tree nuts were to be brought on the trip. However this couldn’t be said for the food being prepared locally.

Originally the plan was for Aadam’s dad, who is based in Dubai, to go to Oman and speak to the Bedouin cooks about the food. However, due to the absence of ingredients labelling on locally sourced food, a lack of understanding around food allergies and a language barrier it was soon realised that this would not be possible. Plan A had not been successful, and it was clear that Aadam would need to bring 10 day’s worth of food to the desert.

Aadam and mum Rozina looked into a few options including dehydrated food before finding Expedition Foods, a company that produced pre-packed trek food in a nut-free environment. The food was transportable and all Aadam needed to do was add water. Aadam and Rozina sat down before the trip and put together a calendar to mark out what Aadam would eat each day to make sure he was getting the correct calorie intake and having a good variety of tastes. Aadam also tried every meal before he went with mum Rozina saying “I wanted to see every meal he was taking pass his lips” Plan C was a success and Aadam was ready to go on a trek of a life time!

For Aadam, the best things about the trip were having fun with his friends and the walking they did each day. While in the Wahabi desert Aadam visit a Bedouin school and stayed overnight in a Bedouin house. When asked if he was nervous about going into the desert with a severe allergy Aadam answered “prevention is key, so instead of dealing with the problem prevent it from happening” incredibly wise words!

Aadam’s advice if you’re considering travelling with an allergy is be prepared! Have a plan A,B and C “You can’t just rock up on the day and hope everything will be ok you need to take all the necessary precautions”.

We’re so grateful to Aadam for sharing his story with us and his top tips for travelling and we look forward to seeing what other adventures Aadam does in the future!

*We always recommend speaking to your GP and Pharmacist before travelling with a severe allergy or anaphylaxis. All patients are different, and specific cases need specific advice. There is no substitute for good medical advice provided by a medical professional.

Taking part in Orange Wig Day is a truly family affair for the Moreton family

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Orange Wig Day is the biggest and brightest day in the annual calendar of the Anaphylaxis Campaign as people from across the UK wear distinctive orange wigs at home, work and school to raise awareness about severe allergies and anaphylaxis. Getting involved was truly a family affair this year for nurse Lucy and her children, 10-year-old Caleb and 6-year-old Emily.

The Moreton family have a personal reason to be passionate about allergy awareness; as Lucy explains “My daughter Emily was diagnosed with a dairy allergy at around three months old, and then during the process of weaning had multiple allergic reactions to wheat before we figured out what was causing them. Just this year we have established that Emily has thankfully outgrown her dairy and soya allergy, and can now tolerate baked egg, but as you can imagine, it has been quite a journey getting to this point, and we’re not there yet!”

Caleb was determined to take part in Orange Wig Day to support his sister and didn’t let having to take his SAT exams on the 18th May hold him back! He asked that his school could take part a week early so he didn’t miss out.

Lucy said “Caleb’s fundraising total was £285.00 in the end, he was quite overwhelmed with the support he received and is now feeling very proud of himself. He certainly got some attention at school, his friends thought it was great that he ‘actually did it!’

We’re really proud of him for not just raising the money, but for raising awareness of the seriousness of food allergies amongst his fellow students. It was also great to see so many staff and pupils wearing orange on Friday for their ‘allergy awareness day!’

Armed with knowledge gained from completing an Anaphylaxis Campaign ‘train the trainer’ AllergyWise course, Lucy, who is a registered nurse with a background in A&E and also a Healthcare Member of the Anaphylaxis Campaign, held a series of sessions at Caleb’s school called ‘how to be an allergy hero’ with the support of her sister. Around 420 children learned how to be allergy aware.

Lucy said: “It really was lovely to see how every single one of the children seemed to understand the significance of what we were telling them. We were asked lots of really good questions and heard lots of stories about their own experiences of food allergies, whether it was the child themselves, or someone they knew. I had some lovely feedback from the teachers following their session and many of them enjoyed sharing their new understanding with the children while we were there on Friday.”

If that wasn’t enough, Lucy also got her work colleagues involved with Orange Wig Day raising over £118 through a bake sale and holding anaphylaxis training too. It’s amazing to see how this passionate family are helping the Anaphylaxis Campaign to raise awareness about severe allergies in their community.