November 13, 2015
In the Black household, Halloween is different. It does not consist of costumes or going door to door to collect candy that will inevitably lead to a tummy ache. Instead, Jennifer Black puts her two sons in front of the Halloween movie of their choice and gives them both their favorite candy. Black’s rural northwest Arkansas home doesn’t see many trick-or-treaters so it’s easy for her to keep her three year old away from peanuts, a harmless ingreedient to most, but one that will prove deadly for her son if he consumes it.
Food Allergy Research & Education, an organization devoted to educating the public about food allergies, estimates that one in every 13 children suffers from food allergies. For some children, exposure to a food allergy means only swollen eyes, hives or a rash. But for others, it means anaphylactic shock, a condition that causes a drop in blood pressure, inflammation and a swelling airway. If left untreated, anaphylaxis will result in death within minutes. There is no cure for food allergies and every three minutes, an American child is sent to the hospital with an allergic reaction.
"I dread Halloween due to the fact that my son can't trick or treat because he can't have any of the candy,” said Black, a UofA alum. “Its just not safe so we don't ‘do’ Halloween."
Black learned of her son’s allergy when he was less than a year old. A huge fan of peanut butter, Black said she ate it all the time during her second pregnancy and while she was nursing with no problem. At her son’s nine-month check-up, her pediatrician encouraged her to let Justin*, whose name has been changed for privacy reasons, try some peanut butter because doctors believed allergies occurred when food wasn’t given to children at an early enough age. That same day, Black allowed Justin to try a small piece of his older brother’s peanut butter and jelly sandwich, but said she knew something was immediately wrong. Justin was clawing at his eyes, ears and throat and screaming uncontrollably. In the 15-minute drive to the hospital, his face swelled to twice its normal size and was covered in scrapes from his tiny fingernails.
“He was unrecognizable,” Black said. “It was the scariest moment of my life.”
The doctors were able to control the anaphylaxis as soon as they arrived at the ER with an emergency epinephrine injection. Because it was his first reaction, the doctors told Black that it didn’t mean the next reaction would necessarily be the same, and the next time could mean a swollen airway. Although Justin has not been exposed to peanuts since the initial incident, Black fears for her son’s safety every day.
“Living with a child who could die from eating something has been the most stressful thing of my life,” said Black. “I just recently started seeing a counselor to deal with the anxiety it causes. Having to wipe down shopping carts, play ground equipment, etc. just because my son may become contaminated has become the norm for me.”
Things are especially stressful around the holidays when candy is everywhere you turn, Black said. When it comes to family gatherings or parties with close friends, everyone goes above and beyond to keep Justin’s condition in mind and check every ingredient in dishes to guarantee his safety. However, extended family and neighborhood parties are different.
“When there are a lot of people planning to attend I don't want to be ‘that person’ who makes everything difficult so we usually will decline the invite for me and my son,” Black said. “I usually have my husband go so we at least have one person from our family make an appearance.”
Black said she sometimes makes an exception for events like these when it is necessary, but she has come to despise holiday parties and the unwanted stress and anxiety it gives her during a time that is supposed to be about celebrating. Things may change when he gets older and can begin taking care of himself, but for now he is only 3 years old, meaning Black and her husband are the only ones who can keep him safe.
However, Black has found solace from No Nuts Mom Group, a group of mothers dedicated to educating the public about the dangers of food allergies and supporting each other. Black is the group leader of the northwest Arkansas chapter. The group schedules both indoor and outdoor playgroups for the kids, but also has adult-only outings to give parents a break from worrying. Black said the group has opened her eyes to an entire community of other families with the same problems and she has made lifelong friendships.
“Just knowing I am not alone in this battle is so nice,” Black said. “Especially being able to meet up with other local moms going through this.”
Food allergies are something everyone hears about every day, but people don’t realize the severity of it until it directly affects them, said Lisa Birkle-Rutter, director of support group development at the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Connection Team. There are roughly two children in every classroom with food allergies.
Black said this past Halloween was the first year Justin expressed interest in wanting to dress up and trick-or-treat like other kids. A national campaign called the Teal Pumpkin Project was launched in 2014 to raise awareness of food allergies and make Halloween inclusive for all children. Participants in the campaign paint a pumpkin teal and put it on their front porch, signifying that their household has a non-food treat for children with food allergies. Black said because of this she feels better about Halloween and will most likely let Justin go out next year, although she is still apprehensive just because of her own comfort level.