Earlier this week I received an e-mail from a mom that not only thanked me for the blog but also told me her 10 year old daughter enjoyed it, too! I had never even thought about a child reading it. It knocked my socks off!! I couldn't let this opportunity pass by without getting this sweet girl's perspective on her allergy.
She knows more about PA than I ever could. I find it fascinating to see this allergy from a child's perspective. So without further ado, let me introduce you to 10 year old Gretchen from the Northwest. I've already told this sweetie she is my hero. Now you can see why.
PAK: How old were you when your family found out you had a peanut allergy?
Gretchen: I was two years old. I had a bite of a peanut butter cracker and broke out in hives. Dad drove to the hospital. Mom gave me benadryl. After that an Allergist confirmed I had a peanut allergy by skin test.
PAK: Do your friends understand your allergy?
Gretchen: Some do. The people I don’t really hang around usually don’t understand.
PAK: Do you have any other friends with a peanut allergy?
Gretchen: Yes I have one friend with a serious sesame, sunflower, and peanut allergy.
PAK: Do you have any special accommodations at school or elsewhere for your allergy? If so, what?
Gretchen: I have a peanut free lunch table and the classroom is peanut free.
PAK: What is the worst thing about having a peanut allergy?
Gretchen: Not being able to go to a lot of restaurants.
PAK: How do you carry your medicines like your EpiPens and Benadryl?
Gretchen: I carry my medicine in a fanny pack at all times. ( Not at home. )
PAK: If you could live one day without a peanut allergy, what would you do and/or eat during that day?
Gretchen: I would want to go to The Rock it’s a pizza place, but they can’t guarantee its safe.
PAK: Anything else to share with our readers today?
Gretchen: I am happy I have a wonderful mom and dad who keep me safe. I appreciate it a lot.
Pretty incredible, isn't she? There is a maturity in a child that lives with a life-threatening food allergy that amazes and encourages me as a Mom.
Thanks for joining us Gretchen and letting us moms (and dads) get a peek into your perspective of living with your peanut allergy.
(**Readers - If you have time, please leave a comment thanking Gretchen for talking to us. If you don't know how, just click on the "Comments" button below. If you don't have a blogger account, select "anonymous" at the bottom. If you receive this by e-mail, click here to visit the blog and leave a comment.)
4 comments:
Thanks for the comment on my blog. And thank Tyler for me too. I'm glad he thought my peanut drawing looked yucky because that's exactly how I wanted it to look. Gretchen sounds like an amazing girl, one year older than my dd. You have a lot of valuable information here - I'm bookmarking your blog as I know I'll be back :)
Thanks for the interview with Gretchen. My little boy is the age she was when she was diagnosed, and it happened much the same way. I hope he turns out to be as great as she clearly is!
Nancy
I've known Gretchen and her family for a couple of years now. She truly is an amazing young lady, and she comes from a wonderful family. She is happy and "normal" in every way, except her PA (at least as far as I can tell!). She doesn't let it slow her down at all. She is careful, but lives life like she should at her age. I feel honored to call her my friend.
Thank you for the interview with Gretchen! My daughter is 17 months old, and we found out last month that she is severely allergic to peanuts. It's been really hard for us as her parents to deal with it, and what a blessing to read in Gretchen's own words how she is dealing with HER allergy. It gives me hope for my baby girl. THANK YOU!
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