Support group aims to help children with allergies

Nicole Van Sant saw a need that wasn’t being met in Bloomington, so she worked to fill the hole.

The Bloomington Parents of Children Having Allergies support group was created in March.

On Easter 2013, Nicole Van Sant, her husband and her son were enjoying festivities at their church when Van Sant noticed her son, then 3 years old, did not look or feel well because he had accidentally ingested candy with peanuts.

Van Sant said she had to administer an epinephrine pen and seek medical attention in the hospital emergency room.

About 15 million people in the United States, including one in 13 children, have food allergies, according to the Food and Allergy Research Education website.

The website also said the most common food allergies are peanuts, tree nuts, milk, egg, wheat, soy, fish and shellfish.

There is still no known cure for any of these allergies.

Van Sant said this is the everyday reality of parents with children who have food allergies.

She said her son was diagnosed with his peanut allergy at 18 months old but the incident at Easter was his first reaction since being tested.

“I needed help and support from people who were going through the same thing,” Van Sant said.

Van Sant said she looked for allergy support groups but the closest one was on the north side of Indianapolis.

She said she went four times, and though it was helpful, the information did not pertain to her community in Bloomington.

“I said to myself, ‘I can do this,’” Van Sant said.

Van Sant said two moms showed up to the first meeting of Bloomington Parents of Children Having Allergies, but seven parents attended the group’s second meeting in April.

“It makes you feel better to talk to other members,” Van Sant said. “Other parents whose children don’t have allergies don’t get it. Teachers don’t get it. It feels good to have a group of friends who know what it’s like.”

Robin Mann has attended all of the group meetings. Mann said her 5-year-old daughter has a peanut allergy and just recently tested positive for a walnut allergy.

“She looks like such a happy, healthy girl, so it’s challenging trying to get people to understand her level of severity,” Mann said.

The group comes together the first Tuesday of every month.

The next meeting is 7 p.m. Tuesday at Sherwood Oaks Christian Church.

Van Sant said a local Auvi-Q representative will give a presentation on the newest version of the epinephrine pen.

“Our main goals are offering education and support,” Van Sant said.

Mann said her favorite part of the support group is the constant exchange of ideas.

“We have some moms in the group with older kids, so it’s nice to have somebody who has been doing it for so long,” Mann said. “Alternatively, there are some moms with kids who haven’t started school yet, so us moms with kids in preschool can help them plan.”

Annie Ruddy’s son will soon be 16 years old.

She said they have known about his peanut and egg allergies since he was 14 months old.

Ruddy said the best advice she has for other parents of children with allergies is to be practical.

“We do not eat out a lot. We bake from scratch, and when we buy food, even products that we buy frequently, we read the label each time,” Ruddy said.

Brittany Dye said her son is only 23 months old and is allergic to wheat, soy, eggs, peanuts, green peas and squash.

She said the hardest part is finding foods that are toddler-friendly and do not contain any of the food allergies her son has.

She said she has attended all of the group’s meetings and loves all the insight she has received.

“I am going to be so much better equipped to handle things as my son gets older and isn’t home with me on a daily basis,” Dye said.

The group said they plan to have a booth at the Bloomington Farmers’ Market on May 17, the last day of Food Allergy Awareness Week.

Additionally, Van Sant said they will also participate in the Food Allergy Research & Education Walk for Food Allergy on August 23 in Indianapolis.

“We are just trying to get the word out that we’re here to help,” Van Sant said.

For more information about the group, email bloomingtonpocha@comcast.net.