Paul Crowley is the father of two boys: a 10-year-old with food allergies and an 8-year-old with none. While he does his best to maintain a relatively normal life for his family, they inevitably had to make changes after the diagnosis -- things like asking a lot of questions before outings, birthday parties and sleepovers. Still, … Continue reading Profile of an Allergy Parent: Paul Crowley (Top 10 Challenge Committee)
Tag: allergy parents
Profile of an Allergy Parent: Jennifer Fortino (Not So Nutty Mom)
Jennifer Fortino is a high school English teacher and the mom of two little ones. While her four-year-old-daughter has an anaphylactic allergy to tree nuts, her two-year-old son has no known allergies to date. It took her awhile to accept the emotional hardship and everyday challenges that accompanied her daughter's diagnosis -- she has witnessed … Continue reading Profile of an Allergy Parent: Jennifer Fortino (Not So Nutty Mom)
Food Allergies & Anaphylaxis: When the Medical Response Is a Mystery (part 2 of 3)
This blog post is part 2 of a 3-part series. Read part 1 and part 3. Since I first wrote about my son's first anaphylactic reaction (and the doctor's mysterious reaction to his reaction), I've done a lot of following up. Because as helpless as I felt when all this went down, the truth is, it was up … Continue reading Food Allergies & Anaphylaxis: When the Medical Response Is a Mystery (part 2 of 3)
Food Allergies & Anaphylaxis: Mystery Reactions Can Come In Many Forms (part 1 of 3)
This blog post is part 1 of a 3-part series. Read part 2 and part 3. Last Friday, my son experienced his first anaphylactic reaction. I didn't even realize it was truly an anaphylactic reaction until I arrived home and reviewed the symptoms of anaphylaxis. Why didn't I know? Because the whole experience was a … Continue reading Food Allergies & Anaphylaxis: Mystery Reactions Can Come In Many Forms (part 1 of 3)
Profile of an Allergy Parent: Shannan Davis (Top 10 Challenge Committee)
A lifelong resident of Toronto, Shannan lives with her husband of 10 years, her (almost) 3-year-old daughter, and an aquarium full of fish named after characters from John Hughes movies. Having had no experience with food allergies, Shannan never anticipated that she’d be an allergy mom one day. Here's her story... AllergyBites: What foods is … Continue reading Profile of an Allergy Parent: Shannan Davis (Top 10 Challenge Committee)
Allergy-Friendly Restaurant Review: Vesuvio Pizzeria & Spaghetti House (CLOSED)
Restaurants that appear on AllergyBites may have updated their menu or changed management since a review was posted. Please confirm that they are still allergy-friendly & that menu items don’t contain your allergen(s) before visiting or placing your order. (THIS RESTAURANT IS NOW CLOSED) If you ask around, it seems like allergy-friendly pizzerias in Toronto … Continue reading Allergy-Friendly Restaurant Review: Vesuvio Pizzeria & Spaghetti House (CLOSED)
Food Allergy Parents Are No Stranger to Anxiety
While researching an article I was writing for Today's Parent Magazine, I decided to survey parents across Canada to gain a better understanding of how raising children with food allergies impacts anxiety levels. More than 200 parents from across Canada responded, and I found myself touched by so many of their words. I'm not kidding … Continue reading Food Allergy Parents Are No Stranger to Anxiety
Safety Over Snacks: Why I created the online petition to WestJet
As this petition to WestJet nears 1,000 signatures, I've been thinking a lot about why I felt the need to create it. See, my son has a number of food allergies, and almonds isn't one of them. But I don't think that matters. If you're part of the food allergy community, your battle is my battle. … Continue reading Safety Over Snacks: Why I created the online petition to WestJet
Going to the Dentist When Your Child Has Food Allergies
April is Oral Health Month. So we asked dentist and allergy mom Jyoti Parmar how to make sure a dentist appointment for a child with food allergies is safe and low-stress. She kindly agreed to share the inside scoop (and some great tips!) with us. Please note: The below information is subject to change at any time. … Continue reading Going to the Dentist When Your Child Has Food Allergies
Reiki: A Refreshing Way for Allergy Moms (and Dads) to Relax
If the Japanese practice of reiki is new to you, you’re not alone. Unlike massage therapy, acupuncture or even water therapy, it doesn't seem to have hit it big in Toronto yet. And as someone who lived in Japan for several years, even I didn't really know a whole lot about it. So when the … Continue reading Reiki: A Refreshing Way for Allergy Moms (and Dads) to Relax
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