Tom and Sarah Nelson have been helping their 3-year-old son, Oliver, deal with food allergies since infanthood, but they hope to do more this time by raising awareness for the condition during this Halloween season.
Based in Dupont Avenue, Morris, the Nelsons found out that Oliver's allergies to food is much higher than it was last year, and while he'd always been allergic to dairy and egg, he's now also allergic to tree nuts among other food items.
"We don't leave the house without Oliver's EpiPen," Sarah said.
The EpiPen, or epinephrine autoinjector, treats a severe, potentially life-threatening allergic reaction called anaphylaxis.
Oliver's parents wish they don't ever have to use his EpiPen, and to ensure that happens while raising awareness for food allergies in children, the Nelsons are asking folks to paint their pumpkins in teal color this fall - given that teal is the color assigned to allergy awareness according to KidsWithFoodAllergies.org
The Food Allergy Research and Education advises that the Halloween's trick-or-treaters offering of food should not include foods that most children are allergic to. Meanwhile, the Nelsons have developed the habit of checking the labels of foods and treats before they allow Oliver to consume them, and this has been helping him a lot.
But they can't always get it right all the time, because sometimes confectionery companies make candy varieties on the same machine or equipment upon which diary, egg, or nut candies are made. And sometimes traces of the allergy are passed from hand to wrapper or vice-versa or from wrapper to wrapper - ending up affecting little Oliver.
"I'm even afraid of wrappers," Sarah said. "We have to avoid products made on the same equipment of the things he's allergic to."
The Nelsons have also been forced at family gatherings to ask people if they washed their hands before touching Oliver, but they really pray that their son will outgrow his allergies and grow to be a normal child like everyone else.