What were you doing before TIP to stay safe?
We were avoiding Elliott’s allergens but he had already dealt with 5 anaphylactic reactions, plus severe asthmatic reactions, and we had been in and out of the hospital.
How were you feeling before joining TIP? What was your state of mind?
Stressed. It was stressful to think this is how my child is going to grow up. I felt like other people thought I was crazy because he was allergic to so many things that I couldn’t be relaxed. People don’t understand what you have to do to stay safe.
How did you find out about TIP?
From my friend, Liz, who had enrolled in the program.
What was your biggest concern or reservation about starting the program?
My biggest concern was that it wasn’t going to work and I would’ve gotten Elliott’s hopes up. That was a huge worry for me. Here I am telling my child you can’t eat these foods and then I’m saying this program might help you eat things you weren’t able to eat. It’s hard—I didn’t want to tell him this is going to work because what if it doesn’t?
How did you navigate it?
I told Elliott let’s try this. I don’t know if it’s going to work but I had to get him on board too. It’s a really hard thing to shift his mind as well as yours from “Do not eat this milk, it will kill you” to “You’re going to try drinking milk every day and it’s going to be fine.”
What was the deciding factor for you to join TIP?
Liz really pushed me to enroll. She told me, “It’s a few plane tickets and a few hours of your time but at least you tried.” Talking to her made me realize: what’s the harm? If I don’t do anything, everything stays the same. If Elliott tries this and fails then things are no different. There’s only upside.
Did you know anyone in the program or connect with anyone before starting?
I didn’t know anyone who had completed the program but my sister, Liz, and another friend of mine all got our first appointments scheduled on the same day. Our kids all went together and that made a huge difference because they had this community as they went through the program.
How have you kept your child motivated in the program?
We got lucky because Elliott is a very good eater and that’s helped immensely, but we did have some difficulties with the dosing process for egg and when we got to the egg challenge, we had to promise him a prize for eating it. Eventually he did and he was so proud of himself.
What would you tell someone considering TIP?
I recommend it wholeheartedly. It’s challenging but we’re living so differently these days.
What’s been your favorite moment in the program?
When Elliott got to try pizza for the first time! When I was growing up, we had pizza every Friday night and I couldn’t give him that childhood memory. Watching him eat a piece of regular cheese pizza, no substitutions or anything, was amazing. He was so excited and proud of himself.
How has TIP changed your life?
The anxiety and fear that I felt leaving Elliott at school is gone. I don’t have to pack 20 things for him to visit a friend, lug around a cooler after school, or worry about finding a safe place for him to eat anymore.
How has TIP changed your child’s life?
Elliott’s day to day life is so much easier. He can eat lunch in the school cafeteria now and have a piece of pizza there. He’s so much more relaxed and he has so much more food freedom. He can try anything, things that he wasn’t able to eat before.
How has TIP changed your family’s lives?
We can travel now! We used to be restricted to Disney World and places that were really good with allergies. Before the pandemic we were going to go to Japan, which we previously couldn’t do because of the nut allergies. Our family dinners have been much more relaxed, too. A couple months ago, we were out for dinner and Elliott had something that we didn’t realize contained pistachios but he was completely fine and had no reaction. It was such a change.
