Allergy Mom Superheroes
For Mother’s Day we gave “Allergy kids” an opportunity to show off their superhero moms! We asked the most “extra” thing their mom has done to keep them safe, how their mom made sure they were always included, how their mom taught them to advocate, and more! To see the best tips and advice from food allergy moms themselves, see our Mom Guide!
Disney World With Food Allergies
Food allergy mom Rachel McFall dreamed of taking her family to Disney World. With the help of travel advisor Taylor Gordon, who not only specializes in food allergy travel but also manages her own allergies, Rachel’s family managed to eat every meal out, enjoying character breakfasts, Mickey Mouse ice cream bars, and a visit to Erin McKenna’s Bakery. See her 527 reviews on the Spokin app @allergene, including 14 from her trip!
Join our Insta Live with Rachel to hear how her family dined out safely with peanut, egg, and wheat allergies, and how Taylor "did it all", planning every detail of their fairytale vacation. Tune in Wednesday, 5/18 at 12 PM CT/1 PM ET for the Insta Live and enter to win a Disney World trip of your own!
Sarah Romano: The Allergist Mom
Sarah Boudreau-Romano is an Attending Physician in the Division of Allergy and Immunology at Lurie Children’s Hospital in Chicago, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Northwestern University, Director of the FASE Program and food allergy blogger. What gives Sarah a unique perspective on food allergies is that she is a mother of 4 children, 3 of whom have life-threatening food allergies – more than 20 allergies amongst them. We had a chance to chat with Sarah, and she generously shared some wisdom with Spokin.
Food Allergy Fund: Ilana Golant
Ilana Golant and her daughter, Emma
What started as a New Year’s resolution became a brand new organization— Food Allergy Fund—flipping food allergy fundraising on its head. Ilana Golant, food allergy mom and rock star lawyer turned media executive has spent a big chunk of her career sharing brand stories and building awareness campaigns for Fortune 100 companies. Now she wants to focus on food allergies and is kicking off an awareness campaign starting July 4th! Join in by sharing YOUR fun photos of people doing headstands (or handstands, somersaults, anything upside down) with #thisisnuts and @foodallergyfund and help raise awareness for food allergies. We are so lucky to have Ilana in our corner!
Milk Allergy Mom: Jamie Kaufmann
This Mother's Day we want to celebrate a food allergy mom who dedicates herself to lifting up and supporting other moms—Jamie Kaufmann of Milk Allergy Mom truly embodies the spirit of Spokin. You can't help but be drawn to Jamie because of her positivity and engaging topics. She is a real mom, with real life food allergy challenges and she shares them in an open an honest way that makes you love her! There are so many unique things about Jamie, but one of our favorites is her new self-care initiative. After taking care of her children and her many group followers she is going to be talking more about self-care for food allergy moms in her group. Just in time for Mother's Day!
Food Allergy and Celiac Mom: Sarah Dyer
A former marketer turned stay-at-home mom and blogger at Shine On Mom—managing a household with food allergies and celiac became a full time job that led this mom right to Spokin. We discover how an honest single post on Instagram turned into a career that would combine all aspects of her life.
The Mother of All Food Allergies
For decades Denise, the mother of all food allergies, has had a tremendous impact on the food-allergy community. As co-founder of MOCHA, a support group for food-allergy families, serving on the Boards of both FARE and Lurie Children's Hospital, and through her strong advocacy for food allergy research, management, and education, Denise has made it her mission to improve the lives of kids with food allergies. While best known for her leadership, perhaps her largest impact has been felt in the countless, one-on-one conversations she has engaged in with scared, frustrated, and desperate parents, including Spokin founder, Susie Hultquist.
Denise Woodard
Denise Woodard has found the sweet side of food allergies. After her daughter was diagnosed with FPIES and multiple food allergies, buying safe and tasty snacks was not so easy — so she started making her own. Denise is now the founder of Partake Foods, a line of top 8 allergen-free mini cookies that are made with simple ingredients from safe suppliers. Denise lives with her family in New Jersey where she is working to expand Partake to include even more delicious snacks for families with and without food allergies.
Pamela Fernandez
Pamela Fernandez is an unstoppable force in the food allergy world. When she is not busy co-running the site Navigating Food Allergies in New York and serving as a No Nuts Moms Support Group leader, Pamela can be found fundraising on a local level for FAACT, and on a national level for Food Allergy Awareness Month. She works tirelessly to connect and advocate for people living with food allergies. Pamela and her son, who has multiple food allergies, keep each other inspired with their positivity and optimism.
Sharon Wong
Sharon Wong is the food allergy advocate and blogger behind Nut Free Wok, a food allergy blog specializing in "Allergy Aware Asian Fare." When her two sons were diagnosed with food allergies, Sharon took action by channeling her love of cooking into adapting classic Asian recipes for people with nut allergies. Her blog and personal advocacy is all about making food allergy-friendly Asian food possible and delicious with recipes like Peanut-Free Pad Thai and a Better for You Butter Mochi.
