As a busy allergy mom who has little to no time for self-care, rarely hangs out with friends anymore, forgets the meaning of “date night,” and never ever has a clean house, I’m sure most of the people in my life thought I was crazy when I announced I was working to bring a version of an Australian fundraiser to Canada.

What can I say? I’ve always been a passionate person, and now that I have something important that I can actually fight for… I’m alllll in.

The story behind the Top 10 Challenge is really just me being inspired by a bunch of different women who were already making a difference in the world of food allergies. Well that, coupled with the fact that I’ve always preferred eating over walking/running — what can I say? I’m a foodie! — and I saw the challenge as a brilliant way to spread some much-needed empathy. I mean, what better way to truly ‘get it’ than to live a ‘day on the plate’ of someone with food allergies?

The truth is, I didn’t get it before my son’s diagnosis. Not even close. And I know that within the allergy world, there are those who don’t understand what others are going through. I know this firsthand because I got to see what it was like to only have to avoid the allergen that is most accommodated and understood (peanut!), and then later dealt with the one allergen that shows up in almost every ingredient list/where you least expect it (soy!), and am now trying my best to stay positive about an allergen that is outside of the top 10 and in most “allergen-free” foods (sunflower!). Each allergy comes with its own unique challenges — and we may not really understand what those are unless we’ve lived without those foods.

As much as we wish the rest of world would better understand (and empathize with) our struggles, the food allergy community can be pretty divided at times too. I’m hoping that by participating in the Top 10 Challenge — no matter if we have food allergies or not — our hearts will grow a little, the world will become a little kinder, and the future will be a better, safer place for our little ones. Is that too much to ask?

Want to help spread a little compassion? Register to participate here. (The challenge takes place in April 2019, so you’ve got lots of time to mentally prepare!)

P.S. We’re also aiming to raise $10,000 annually, to be donated to Canadian Allergy, Asthma and Immunology Foundation. If you’d like to sponsor me, you can donate here.

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