Peanuts, tree nuts, and shellfish.
These are the words I repeat every time I’m at a restaurant, school, airplane, or friend’s house before eating my meal. If I consume even a molecule of a peanut, my body will instantly go into anaphylactic shock, starting with an itchy throat, a hard time breathing, and then finally collapse and die. That is why I must always carry an epinephrine injector, a device used to treat severe allergic reactions, everywhere I go. However, I am not alone in this silent epidemic. This is what 33 million Americans who suffer from food allergies live with every day.
“I always have to carry my EpiPen, just in case anything happens at a restaurant or a friend’s house,” junior Lara Parikh, who has a life-threatening peanut allergy, said. “No matter how many times I check, I just have to be careful.”
My own family found out about my food allergies unexpectedly when I was 14 months old. One afternoon, my sister spilled a jar of peanuts, and like any toddler would, I put one in my mouth. Luckily, my mom instantly knew something was wrong and rushed me to the emergency room.
That was the day everything changed. I had my first near-death experience and was diagnosed with a life-threatening peanut allergy.
Growing up, birthdays and play dates were most difficult for me because I sat in sadness watching my friends enjoy baked treats that I couldn’t eat. Many people who don’t understand the severity of food allergies tend to think I’m a high-maintenance eater or that if an allergic reaction happens, it’s not life-threatening. What they don’t realize is that any bite of food could be my last.
“Food allergy is a disease. It’s not a diet or a preference,” Food Allergy and Research Education CEO Dr. Sung Poblete told me in a recent interview. “Everyone needs to understand that when someone says they have a food allergy it doesn’t mean that they are picky eaters. It is a disease in their immune system.”
Up to this point, I’ve been quietly managing my food allergies. Recently, however, through the Pinewood Scholars Program, I’ve been able to find my voice and passion, becoming a food allergy advocate who empowers individuals by educating them and helping them navigate their journeys. That’s when Beyond The Shell was born. The initiative includes three components: a peanut allergy web platform, a practical pamphlet series, and educational campaigns and fundraising walks hosted throughout the year.
Food Allergy Awareness Week is from May 11 to May 17. The new Food Allergy Club at Pinewood, that I also founded, will be hosting a pop-up table throughout the week, handing out allergy-friendly snacks and informational pamphlets. In addition, Beyond The Shell, in collaboration with FARE and other sponsors, will be hosting a Food Allergy Awareness Fundraising Walk on May 10 at 10 a.m. at Mitchell Park in Palo Alto. If my advocacy work can potentially save a life, then it’s all worth it.
