A Mother's Viral Plea: Keeping My Allergic Child Alive

Katie Bryant from North Carolina shared an emotional post online after nearly losing her two-year-old son to a peanut allergy.

"Nothing prepared us for this," she recalls. She recounts, "He ate an ice pop and suddenly turned blue and started vomiting."

Katie's Facebook post was read by thousands, quickly going viral. "I'm sitting by my little boy's hospital bed," she begins her post. "He looks so tiny in a bed meant for adults. I can feel everything in this room, every sound and movement, like they are etched into my memory. We almost lost him today."

"In an instant, his breathing changed"

Katie knew about her son's peanut allergy, and she carefully checked the ice pop's ingredients before giving it to him. "When I heard the first faint cough, I stood up immediately. Ben isn't old enough to tell me what's happening, and I must recognize it early. I tried not to panic as I approached him. I watched, waiting for something... and then it happened."

"In an instant, his breathing became labored. I sent my older son to get my husband and took Ben to the shower to wash his face. Over the next hour, he vomited, struggled to breathe, turned blue, and his body was covered in red blotches. I rushed him to the hospital."

At the hospital, doctors stabilized him with steroid treatment, although Ben hated the needles. "Now it's quiet."

"Even sunscreen may contain peanuts"

"Ben fell asleep, and I am so grateful he's alive. I think about everything a parent of an allergic child endures, which most people are unaware of. I wish you understood how hard it is to avoid peanuts hidden in foods like snacks, ice creams, and candy. Even products you wouldn't think about, like sunscreen, may contain peanuts, and because they're not food, they don't have to list it on labels."

"I know you dislike that your kids can't bring peanut butter to school or daycare. I see your comments on measures to protect our children. Please understand we're only trying to keep our kids alive. I notice when you roll your eyes as I ask you not to give him a cookie or candy. We're not unsociable. It's hard to avoid playdates for fear your child might have touched peanut butter. It's terrifying to think it might happen by accident."

"Even though we don't expect it, we're grateful when you ask if it's safe or teach your kids to wash their hands before playing with Ben. Thank you for your understanding, it means a lot to us and our children," she concludes.