How teal pumpkins are helping children with food allergies

SALT LAKE CITY — Wondering what is behind all these bright teal pumpkins you see on your social media and news feeds?

Teal is the color for food allergy awareness, and in 2014 the nonprofit group Food Allergy and Education Research (FARE) started an ongoing tradition to benefit families with children affected by food allergies. Organizers called it The Teal Pumpkin Project.

The project's goals are to increase awareness about the serious nature of food allergies and help people be more inclusive of children who live with the condition every day of their lives. Families are invited to place a teal-painted pumpkin on their front porch to let trick-or-treaters know that their home will be passing out non-food or allergy-safe treats.

One of the biggest misconceptions about food allergies is that they are similar to food intolerance, such as gluten sensitivity. Many people still do not understand that when a parent says his or her child has food allergies it is not a lifestyle choice or something that can be resolved simply by changing the way a food is prepared. In reality, ingesting certain allergens found in everyday food is a threat to the child's life.

Stacy Chatterton is a food allergy awareness advocate raising two daughters who have food allergies. Since her first daughter's diagnosis over five and a half years ago, she has found support at Kids With Food Allergies as well as many Facebook groups for parents of children with food allergies.

She and other parents of children with food allergies must be prepared to do whatever it takes to make sure their child does not ingest or have direct contact with his or her allergens. For school-aged children, this can present a complicated schedule of doctor appointments; visits with the school principal, teachers and school nurse; extra paperwork; and continuous communication to ensure that medical supplies and plans are in place in the event of an emergency.

"I deal with the reality of this possibility every day that I drop off my two young daughters at school," Chatterton said. "In the months and weeks before school starts, I schedule meetings with teachers and school nurses to ensure health care plans are in order. I also make sure that both girls have their epinephrine and medical bracelets on them at all times."

Parents like Chatterton have to monitor their child's food in a similar way that parents of children with Type 1 diabetes have to monitor their child's insulin. These parents are never completely relaxed when sending their children to school because they must be ready to drop everything and rush their child to the emergency room if exposure to allergens occurs. This often leads to anxiety and feelings of loneliness on the part of the parent, the child or both.

"You will often not find me further than 15 minutes away from either child's school, with my phone in my back pocket," Chatterton said. "In the last few years, I have had a few anxiety attacks while the two of them are away at school."

Holidays like Halloween can be an especially stressful time, as Chatterton has to constantly weigh wanting her daughters to participate in celebrations at school and with friends with the need to keep them safe. She enjoys seeing the teal pumpkins show up on the doorsteps of families who want to include children with food allergies.

It isn't difficult to find allergy free candy for trick-or-treaters. All grocery stores sell candy for egg, peanut and tree nut allergies that even children without food allergies enjoy regularly.

Parents and neighbors of children with food allergies wanting to know more about The Teal Pumpkin Project can find information on the FARE website.

Alicia Walters is passionate about motherhood and believes we moms possess our own strengths that can be used to help and lift one another and our communities. Follow Alicia Walters Blog on Facebook and Instagram or visit aliciawaltersblog.com.

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