Kimana sat at the dining room table diligently going over the family's bills for the month. She examined a bank statement in her hand when she heard a noise coming from the kitchen.
Sighing, she put down the bill to check out who was in the kitchen. She already had a sneak suspicion of who it was, which turned out to be correct. She caught her grandson, Zuko, red-handed trying to sneak some cookies meant for after dinner. "Zuko, you know you can't have sweets before dinner," she chided gently from the kitchen doorway.
Startled, her nine-year-old grandson dropped the cookies on the floor. Then hung his head shamefully. His grandmother gave him an amused look. "Zuko?"
"Yes, Grandma?"
"I won't let your parents know about this. But only if you promise not to try and sneak them again. Do we have an understanding?"
"Yes, Grandma," as she turned to leave, he called out, "Grandma?" She turned around, her loving golden eyes gazing into his. "Yes?"
"What's an Epipen? I found one in the bathroom earlier today, but I don't know what it is." Then, she looked a bit more concerned, "You didn't play with it? Or accidentally inject yourself with it, did you?"
Her fearful expression scared her grandson, who quickly blurted out, "No! I didn't play with it! It just rolled out the bathroom cabinet when I was looking for a fresh tube of toothpaste. So I put it back on the high shelf. But I wanted to know what it is."
She let out a breath before gesturing for him to follow her back to the dining room. She sat him down before explaining a story that almost ended in death."Zuko, you're aware what an allergy is, correct?"
"Yes, but don't they make you sneeze? Like if your allergic to cats?"
"Some allergies are worse then others. They can be a lot more serious then just a sneezing fit. You could break out in hives, or you could stop breathing."
Zuko's eyes went wide hearing that part. His grandmother brushed a lock of hair behind her ear, "An Epipen is designed to be injected when someone is having a severe reaction.
It contains epinephrine which helps the person counteract the symptoms of the allergy and breath. It helps save many lives because it buys them time so they can get to the hospital."
"So in the Epipen yours?" she nodded. "I've got an allergy to nuts. Its so bad I could end up dead if I'm exposed to even a trace amount."
"That sounds super scary, Grandma."
"It is particularly one time when I was around your age. I nearly died when someone deliberately tried to feed me nuts."
His eyes bugged out more. "Why would anyone intentionally give you nuts?"
"Sit tight, grandson. This is a doozy of a story. It started four days before my tenth birthday, and my parents had gone to a flower show. So Nurita and I were left in the care of our great aunt. However, this aunt didn't know us well, nor did we know her well. My parents always made sure that our babysitters were well aware of things. Nevertheless, we can't count on everyone wanting to pay attention."
"No, I suppose not. So what happened?"
"Well, I was nine and didn't always carry my Epipen with me. I didn't have it on me when I was home anyway. Because my parents went out of their way to ensure there wasn't anything I was exposed to trigger my allergy."
"I've got a bad feeling something did."
"You're correct, Zuko. My great-aunt gave my sister and me some snacks. I had no idea there were nuts in them. I had a severe reaction, and as I said, I didn't have my EpiPen on me when at home.
I'd left it in my bedroom. I went into anaphylaxis shock. By the grace of Agni, a neighbor had come over to drop some things off for my parents. He called an ambulance.
I don't remember anything after that. My parents told me later that I ended up in a coma for eleven days. After I was released from the hospital, we're going to have a make-up birthday party seeing how I missed it due to being in a coma."
"Was your birthday fun?"
"For the most part. We'd friends, family, and our beloved neighbor over. My neighbor's wife was baking me a cake. I overheard bits of conversation from the living room. My great-aunt thought I'd been 'faking' my reaction. Saying that things like allergy and asthma were just 'government lies."
"That stupid! How can anyone believe that garbage?" demanded Zuko.
"You'd be amazed at how many crazy irrational things some folks believe, Zuko. Now my neighbor and mother were trying to get her to take it seriously. But she huffed, called them the idiots, then stormed out. We didn't see her for a while. Then when it came time for the cake, I got the first piece. But I ended up accidentally dropping my fork on the floor.
Which is what saved my life. Because when I went to the kitchen to clean it, my parents were screaming at my great-aunt. She'd deliberately pour a massive bag of nuts into the cake. She claimed it was for my own good."
"How is trying to kill you for your own good?" demanded Zuko again, to which his grandmother shrugged.
"My great-aunt wanted to prove her point that allergies were lies. So she did it, saying if I didn't know they were in there, I wouldn't be able to 'fake' it. My parents were beyond pissed. They demanded she leaves never contact them again. Plus, they're going to file charges and even get a restraining order against her."
"Wow, that's serious!"
"She could've killed me. So yes, they're going to hit her with all they got. We ended up throwing the pan away rather than at the risk of contaminating anything else. My neighbor then went and bought a cake. The rest of my birthday was quite peaceful. However, ever since then? I've never gone anywhere, even my own home without it."
"Then why was it in the bathroom?"
"I stockpile them. They're quite expensive, and insurance doesn't cover it as often. So I get a two-year supply with my insurance before they renew it for another two years."
"Did Dad inherit your allergy?" thinking of his father.
"No, thankfully. Iroh and I had both Lu Ten, and you tested when you're young to ensure you didn't inherit it."
"Well, I'm glad I don't have it. Thank you for explaining, Grandma."
"Welcome, Zuko. It's important to educate yourself. Education is vitally important. Now, why don't you bring in your coloring supplies? You can color while I finish with the bills."
"Okay! I'll be right back!" dashing back to the living room, grabbing his coloring supplies before returning. Kimana smiled as she finished the bills, and Zuko kept himself entertained until dinner time.
Kimana- Lauren Tom- Multiple voice acting roles
With the release of the recent study by the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, the rise of food allergies among children is all over the news. The study shows that now up to 1 in 12 children have some food allergy, and among those, 40% of them have had a severe reaction to an allergen. With the many myths and uncertainties about food allergies, Food Republic has gathered ten facts and myths about childhood food allergies.
Myth: A food allergy is not dangerous.
As seen by a recent study, up to 40% of children with food allergies can have a severe reaction that can lead to a hospital visit or even an early death. Food allergies can be fatal and cause anaphylaxis, blocking airways and preventing the child from breathing. However, immediate treatment with epinephrine and auto-injectors can save a child's life during an extreme allergic reaction.
Fact: Most people with allergies cannot eat even a little of what causes their allergies.
Unlike specific food intolerance — like lactose intolerance, which allows the afflicted to eat small portions of dairy — those with food allergies should avoid any contact with their food allergen to prevent the risk of an uncommon and possibly lethal reaction.
Myth: Only certain foods can cause food allergies.
Although only certain foods are most likely to cause allergic reactions, children can be allergic to almost any food, including many fruits and vegetables. However, the foods most likely to cause allergies are eggs, milk, peanuts, nuts, soy, wheat, fish, and shellfish.
Fact: There is no proven test for food allergies.
Testing for food allergies is an inexact science, and some children who test negative or positive for specific food allergens can be the opposite. In addition, there is no universal acceptance for the term "food allergy," and other diseases may have the same symptoms as some food allergies but may not be diagnosed. All signs should be tested, but they may or may not indicate a food allergy.
Myth: Children never outgrow their food allergies.
Many kids can outgrow their food allergies, having avoided what causes the allergy entirely for two to three years. Although some allergies are more easily beaten, like milk (85% of children can outgrow milk allergies) than peanuts (only 20% of children usually outgrow peanut allergies), outgrowing allergic reactions is still possible.
Fact: Allergies can develop after adolescence.
Often, food allergy symptoms first show up during childhood, but they can develop at any time after the first exposure to a food. However, specific food allergies, like shellfish allergies, are most likely to appear for the first time in adults.
Myth: Peanuts are the most common food allergy among children.
Although peanuts can cause the most life-threatening allergic reactions in children, milk is the most common food allergen.
Fact: Western children are more susceptible to food allergies.
Studies have shown that the diets of Western children have pre-disposed them to have more allergic reactions to certain foods.
A study done by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences compared the stomach bacteria from 15 children in Italy with the bacteria in 14 children in Burkina Faso. They found a decrease in the richness of the bacteria of Western children that may have something to do with the rise in food allergies in Western cultures.
Myth: Any reaction you have after eating a portion of food is an allergy.
Food allergies do occur in up to 8% of children, but many parents think that their children have adverse reactions to food that may, in fact, not be allergic reactions. Instead, many kids may be lactose intolerant, have a food aversion, or have other symptoms that have nothing to do with allergies, such as hyperactivity and gas.
Fact: Early exposure to a particular food may reduce allergies to those foods.
Studies have shown that earlier exposure to certain foods like peanuts can prevent future allergies. A 2008 study by the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology compared food allergies among Jewish children living in the United Kingdom to those living in Israel.
With peanut allergies occurring more frequently in the children living in the U.K. One main reason was that 69% of the Israeli children were fed peanuts by nine months of age compared to only 10% of U.K. children.