Don't Wait For The Big One

This week a 9 year old peanut allergic boy died in the UK after putting a piece of candy into his mouth. The boy had prior peanut reactions but none this severe. Sadly it often takes a severe reaction for parents to realize how dangerous the allergy is. This was the case for us and this particular story reminds me of how lucky we were.

Although our daughter had two minor reactions before her major reaction on Boxing Day, we were not educated enough to truly understand the risk. If your child has a history of even the smallest reactions to peanut you are advised to have an epinephrine auto-injector, such as an EpiPen, with your child at all times. At the first signs of an allergic reaction you should immediately call 9-1-1 and summon up the strength to use the EpiPen should that be necessary. If the reaction becomes more severe it is advised to use the EpiPen versus bringing it to the hospital with you.

Our (first) ambulance driver said it best, "don't mess with a peanut allergy".