The Importance of Food Allergy Awareness Week

This week our family is recognizing Food Allergy Awareness week and how food allergies affect our family, and 32 million Americans. I take this opportunity to spread information and share knowledge with our friends, family and others to enable them to save someone’s life in the event of an allergic reaction. In order to effectively share information it’s important to practice how we communicate and be heard.

Through my son’s preschool and elementary school years, I did my best to simplify the discussion of his personal medical needs with anyone who had our son in their care. It’s not just teachers, but coaches, instructors, nurses, parents, babysitters, camp counselors, waiters, religious school volunteers, bus drivers, and so many more.

There is pressure on those with food allergies and parents of food allergic children to find just the right words to effectively communicate how to potentially save a life due to an allergic reaction. When our son was young, it was awkward for me, especially as I could sense at times someone I was speaking to was checking out and stopped listening as I tried to explain.

It wasn’t uncommon to get a confused look from, say a coach, as I communicated my son’s needs. I could see the coach wondering why I was sharing this information because no one would be eating at soccer practice, that the information I was sharing wasn’t needed because there wouldn’t be an issue they would need to address.

Let’s face it though, food pops up everywhere, even when it’s not expected, or the chance to unexpectedly come in contact with allergens (think of drinking from a teammates water bottle at soccer practice who just ate a peanut butter granola bar or a quick yogurt before practice.)

I learned early on from our allergist that you need to be direct and provide actionable information, I called this our food allergy ‘elevator pitch.’ It’s explaining something in a way such that any listener can understand your message in a short period of time, or the time of a typical elevator ride.

I would firmly say:

“Regardless of what type of activity [our son] is participating in, or who is responsible for him, no matter what, everyone needs to know he is allergic to many foods and what to do in the event of a reaction.”

I found this would command attention and then begin a more detailed discussion.

Food Allergy Awareness Week is a chance to repeat our food allergy elevator pitch and spread awareness to the world. If there is just one person who hears and takes note of this life-saving information, then that’s one more person with the knowledge to save a life.

What’s your food allergy ‘elevator pitch’? Get in touch.

Check out my Resources page for great resources to communicate and manage food allergies, and how to administer life saving medications.