Food Allergy Friendly Vacations – A request from a concerned mother

Do you think a cruise is safe for someone who has food allergies? Express your opinion below.

I received the following e-mail today from a concerned mother:

Hi, my 15 year old daughter…is so allergic to peanuts that all she has to do is smell them or any product of peanuts like peanut oil and she has an anaphylaxis reaction. Up until 3 months ago she was a little social butterfly at school, she was in marching band, basketball, cheerleading among other clubs and organizations and now has to be home schooled because of it. We try to keep her busy with activities such as tumbling and Jr. Drag racing but bless her heart she’s so lonely. We would like to take a summer family vacation but had no clue where we could go or how to get there because there are peanuts everywhere! Even on air planes! Could you or anyone you know help us with some ideas of something fun we could do? We were thinking about a cruise but weren’€™t sure if there was a peanut free trip!   HELP PLEASE! Any information would be helpful!

Thank you,

Shannon

Hello, Shannon.

First, let me say that I am sorry for what your daughter and your whole family has ended up dealing with.  I can’t imagine how hard this is for your daughter to have developed such a severe allergy that has changed her life so dramatically.

As far as a vacation goes, I’m not sure a cruise is a good idea unless the boat stays near shore the entire trip.  I personally wouldn’t want to be out on the water when an allergic reaction occurs.  And in such closed quarters with so many people, like an airline, it’s hard to prevent exposure.  This is just my personal opinion, though.

What I would suggest is a fun road trip with a cooler full of goodies.  Plan the trip thoroughly.  Pack as much food as you can yourselves (you can picnic along the way instead of stopping to eat at restaurants, unless there are places you have found that are safe for your daughter), and mark the grocery stores (and restaurants) along the route to stop at to load up on safe goodies.

Of course, bring epi-pens (at least 2) and plenty of Benadryl and any other medications that the doctor has prescribed or recommended.  Also map out where all of the Emergency Rooms are along the way and keep your cell phone (more than one is good) fully charged (bring a car charger just in case), so you can dial 9-1-1 if necessary.

If you want to fly, alert the airline of the allergy and request that it be a peanut free flight.  They do this for passengers with severe allergies.

If you want to travel overseas, I’m not sure what to recommend as I haven’t done this with our allergic children, nor have I done it since I developed food allergies.  I would recommend Canada b/c their food allergies laws are actually stricter than in the U.S. (I’m assuming you are in the U.S.  Correct me if I am wrong.)

Also, consult your daughter’s allergist about it and see what he/she says.

I would like to get you as much advice as I can, so, while respecting your privacy…, I am putting your question and my answer onto my site.  I will reach out to the food allergy online community to help you plan a great summer vacation while keeping your daughter healthy and safe.

Sincerely,

Jennifer

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I would now like to ask all of the food allergy mamas and advocates that I am in contact with and who read this to please leave a comment below to help Shannon and her family get a fun and safe summer vacation.