Milk, wheat, nuts and soy are usually healthy foods. But to 12 million Americans, they are just a few of many foods that can cause potentially life-threatening allergic reactions.
Because there is no cure for food allergies, individuals suffering from them must avoid the offending foods or endure skin, gastrointestinal, heart, respiratory and even behavioral problems. At times, certain foods can cause anaphylaxis, rapid reactions that can lead to death, according to the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network.
Despite the growing number of Americans with food allergies, finding allergen-free foods can be just as difficult as determining the nature and severity of the allergies. Leslie Payne knows this scenario all too well. When her 6-month-old son, Ashton, began crying inconsolably and vomiting after eating, she took him to a doctor and discovered he was allergic to casein, a milk protein found in many non-dairy products.
Ashton’s diagnosis made Payne wonder whether her two older sons’ constant stomach cramps, headaches, leg cramps and diarrhea were also caused by food allergies. She was right.
“I put the whole family on a diet, eliminating milk and wheat protein, and within a month my oldest was better,” said Payne, a member of Calvary Baptist Church, Dothan, in Columbia Baptist Association.
But her baby continued to get sick, so Payne kept looking for solutions. Finding no help or guidance for families with food allergies in her community, she spent countless hours researching the topic and realized many other children and adults suffered from this problem. And many of them felt the same isolation.
Earlier this year, Payne organized a food allergy support group to give families like hers a venue to share feelings, recipes and information. “There was nobody to talk to about the frustration of what to cook for your child or where to find the cheapest milk,” she said. “I wanted to give everybody support and bring us all together to share information, to make it easier for newly diagnosed people, to have one central location for the information.”
Payne’s friend Kim Bradshaw also was excited about the new group. With three children suffering from food allergies and intolerances to milk and wheat protein, corn, peanuts, soy, artificial flavors and colors, and some fruits and vegetables, Bradshaw felt hopeful when the meetings began.
“Before the meetings, I felt isolated and all alone, trying to figure things out on my own,” said Bradshaw, also a member of Calvary. “Now I feel like I have support and other people that understand what we are going through. … Hopefully, we can get more people to come.”
At each monthly meeting, experts in allergy-related fields talk to the group about new methods of diagnosis and food solutions. In July, Payne’s group heard from a local baker who makes allergen-free birthday cakes, which can be a big problem for people with allergies. “Every month, I learn something new, either from the speaker or from other people’s research,” Payne said. “I want people to be aware of food allergies and how they can relate to autism, ADD and behavioral problems — not just anaphylaxis.”
Ed Wright, associate senior pastor at Calvary, is happy the group meets a need. “It’s a ministry to touch the community, to offer support and help, and hopefully to share the gospel and minister to the families that come,” he said.
The food allergy support group meets every third Thursday at Calvary’s Recreational Outreach Center in room 308. For more information, contact Payne at 334-673-4607.
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