I enjoy cooking, but I particularly enjoy creating something new, something enriching, something different to the ordinary, but something tasty and healthy which all family members will enjoy consuming. That's what I did for a long time...until I met Max*.
Max is the son of a friend. When Max was introduced to baby food he had his first allergic reaction. He spent 3 days in hospital with anaphylaxis...he was 4 months old!
From then on Max's mum took him to Specialists for regular allergy testing, slowly introduced him to foods one spoon at a time and had to be vigilant and watch for any sign of puffy lips, red neck and shortness of breath.
At a very young age Max was categorised by the medical industry as a 'bubble baby' because he was 'highly anaphylactic', was required to wear a food allergy bracelet and was often excluded from child care centres. For the first five years of his life he had a staple diet of apple, pumpkin, lean beef, potato and fresh peas.
One day when Max and his mum were visiting for coffee I was making espresso. Max and my son were playing in the sterilised play area I had prepared before their visit. The boys were happy enough and Max's mum and I were enjoying catching up about their behaviours and milestones, etc. When out of the blue Max began coughing. Coughing was usually the first thing that signalled an allergic reaction.
I panicked. Max's mum panicked and we began watching him like a hawk to see what would happen next. We searched the play area for any evidence of soiled toys or contaminated food and found nothing suspicious. Max's face became red and his breathing became difficult. An ambulance was called and he was off to hospital...again!
It had been determined the milk I had steamed in the espresso machine had wafted into the play area and caused him to have a reaction. Well of course you can imagine how I felt...like I was to blame. I felt just terrible!
From then on I felt it was my duty to research food allergies, intolerances and anaphylaxis for Max's benefit. I also began collecting suitable recipes which contained no trace of nuts, milk, egg, or seafood.
Max' mum's life, however, changed dramatically...as did the rest of the family. Max is now 12 years old, is still highly allergic and requires regular allergy testing, but Max is old enough to know what triggers a reaction and can even prepare his own meals...with his own separate cooking utensils, bowls, plates and cutlery!
And that, my readers...is why I began this blog. Happy reading!
Michelle XD
*names have been changed to protect certain parties.
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