Amanda Orlando — Everyday Allergen-Free Founder, allergen-free lifestyle blogger, recipe innovator, cookbook author, food stylist and photographer — has lived her entire life with life threatening food allergies to peanuts, nuts, dairy, and more.
Amanda’s navigated friendships and socializing, part-time jobs as a Barista, dating and traveling as a teen and young adult. She’s navigated allergic missteps close to home and far from home, career changes, business social commitments, dinner parties, and milestone events like her marriage to her university sweetheart. And now she’s awaiting the arrival of her first child.
Parents find encouragement here, from the heart, from Amanda’s own food allergy journey.
Dear Parents of kids with life threatening food allergies,
You might be wondering, “What is my kid's life going to be like with this disease?”
Take it from me, someone who has lived with anaphylactic food allergies their entire life, they can have an amazing, full life despite this disease.
They can enjoy delicious foods,
They can eat in restaurants if they choose to,
They can date and fall in love and have meaningful relationships,
They can have a very active social life,
They can travel wherever they want,
They can conquer any obstacle that this disease throws in their way, even the really difficult medical ones…
…as long as they have the right attitude, they can do all this, and then some!
Parents of little ones and not so little ones with life threatening food allergies, be reassured.
Your child with food allergies CAN {will} live a rich and full and rewarding life with complicated food allergies, even if it’s lived a little differently. And remember that different doesn’t mean worse or less fulfilling; it simply means unique, custom fit, and adaptive.
It can be hard to imagine a life where food is not treated casually, and your mind might dive into all of the scenarios in which this challenge may present itself, causing worry and fear. Sure, there will be many times when it is indeed a challenge.
But trust me, a person who has lived with life threatening food allergies her entire life, your kids can do absolutely anything and everything they desire in their lives.
About the Author: Amanda Orlando is the author and photographer of Everyone's Welcome, a food allergy aware and inclusive cookbook. She is the blogger behind everydayallergenfree.com, and she does freelance food photography and recipe development. You can also find her on YouTube at Amanda Orlando. Amanda has lived with multiple anaphylactic food allergies since she was a baby. She lives in Toronto, Canada.
Image: Courtesy of Everyday Allergen-Free