Kristin M. Osborne
Vice President, Education

Kristin M. Osborne

Vice President, Education 

I have navigated food allergies in our family for over two decades. My first experience with food allergies was twenty-three years ago while dating my now husband. He mentioned he was allergic to fish while out to eat at a restaurant. When ordering his meal, he notified the waiter of his allergies. He checked with management to determine the ingredients in his meal. My husband was careful about his food allergy. However, as a child, he was never formally diagnosed. He had many childhood visits to the ER due to severe asthma attacks and anaphylactic reactions to tuna. My husband did not carry epinephrine until our second son was born.

At the age of two, my oldest son had his first food allergic reaction to shrimp in scampi. He ate several bites of shrimp and immediately showed signs of distress. His eyes and lips swelled; hives formed over his face. Terrified, I called and spoke with the after-hours pediatrician and was instructed to give him Benadryl and wait to see if his symptoms subsided. Several days later, my son was at my parents’ home and ate mixed nuts as a snack. Again, his eyes and lips swelled, and his chest was covered in hives. I was instructed to administer Benadryl again and go to the ER if his symptoms progressed. Having no Benadryl at my parents’ home, I took my son and drove to the nearest grocery store. Frightened, I found the children’s Benadryl and gave it to him in the aisle of the store. As we were checking out, I kept a close eye on him in case his symptoms progressed. Thankfully, shortly after leaving the store his swelling went down and his hives minimized. 

After his reactions, I scheduled an appointment for my son with a board-certified allergist at our local children’s hospital. The appointment was several months away, and my instructions were for my son to avoid all nuts and shellfish until he received a blood test. After a full panel of blood tests for food and patch tests for environmental allergies, the tests revealed my son was allergic to peanuts, tree nuts, shellfish, and egg, as well as grass, trees, dust mites, and many other environmental allergens. In addition to his allergy diagnosis, he was also diagnosed with asthma. We left the office with a prescription for epinephrine, an inhaler, and a mission to learn everything about the new diagnosis.

Over the next several years, I educated my family, friends, and community about asthma, food allergies, and anaphylaxis. However, my knowledge was stretched with my middle son.  

In 2006, the day after my middle son’s first birthday, we fed him cottage cheese and toast at breakfast for the first time. He immediately began to drool profusely. He coughed and became extremely lethargic. Recognizing that he was having an anaphylactic reaction, I called 911. I was instructed to administer Benadryl even though we had epinephrine for my older son. The 911 operator was unclear if the child’s dose of epinephrine was safe for infants. I administered the Benadryl and waited for what seemed like ages for the volunteer rescue squad to arrive. They immediately transported my son to the nearest ER. During transport they attempted to administer epinephrine but could not fit the IV needle in his arm. Frightened, we arrived at the hospital. After a battery of tests, we were instructed to schedule an appointment with an allergist to test for wheat, dairy, and egg allergies. I was instructed to avoid giving those allergens to my son, and to refrain from eating them as well, since I was nursing. 

After my son’s appointment and blood tests, it was determined he was allergic to wheat, dairy, and eggs. I knew he was allergic to something, but I had not expected all three allergens. There were not many options for wheat, dairy, and egg-free foods in stores at that time. However, a local food allergy mom opened a small store in our area that offered a wide variety of “free-from” foods. The store also listed each ingredient in plain labeling with icons to reference allergens. We were able to purchase food items like ice cream and ice cream cones that were safe for both of my sons to eat. Through that store, I connected with local food allergy resources and met many other moms whose children had food allergies. That stores owner was a beacon of hope for our family. Later, our youngest son failed a food challenge and was diagnosed with peanut and tree nut allergies. 

Over the years, our family has graduated to tolerating baked egg, but are still allergic to everything in our original diagnosis. My oldest is a student in college and takes the lead on his allergy and asthma management. My husband and I serve as a sounding board for advice when needed. My middle son is a student in high school and takes the lead during his 504 meetings, and my youngest has alway known how to spell anaphylaxis and epinephrine. My goal as a mom is to educate and empower my family to self-advocate. My role with FAACT will further the mission of education, awareness and advocacy for our community and families.