The green wristband featuring a cartoon walnut that Kenny Burton wears on his wrist is not just a fashion accessory.
It’s a lifesaver for the 3-year-old Bowling Green boy. The wristband shows people that Kenny is allergic to tree nuts such as walnuts, almonds, cashews, pistachios and pecans.
“He was about 2 when he started showing signs,” said Mary Beth Burton, Kenny’s mother. “He’d say, ‘My tongue feels weird’ or ‘My chest hurts’ or he’d vomit.”
So far, Mary Beth Burton and her husband, Jody, have been able to treat Kenny’s allergic reactions with a diphenhydramine such as Benedryl, but they still worry.
“In the beginning, it was the element of the unknown and how to handle it,” she said. “The biggest stress is when he’s not with us.”
The Burtons attended a recent meeting of the Food Education Allergy Support Team of Kentucky, which includes parents of children with food allergies, individuals with food allergies and community professionals supportive of those affected by food allergies.
“What we do is about protecting the lives and promoting the well-being of those with food allergies. Managing food allergies is all about finding that balance. I do this for my 4-year-old son, Will, who is wonderful and perfect in every way regardless of his severe dairy and nut allergies,” said FEAST President Dawn Fraze. “When someone at a FEAST meeting shares a resource, a tip, an idea or a listening ear, it helps me to help my son. The FEAST support groups and programs not only provide information but also a network of others who understand and want to help each other.”
FEAST meets at 6 p.m. the third Tuesday of each month at The Medical Center’s Health and Wellness Center at Greenwood Mall. This month, the organization had its annual food allergy and emergency training program.
“What we have to be prepared for is accidental ingestion because it’s going to happen at some point,” said Graves-Gilbert Clinic allergist Dr. Diana Cavanah, who is also medical director for FEAST. “It can happen to anybody, no matter how vigilant we are.”
According to the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network, about 11 million Americas suffer from a food allergy. Eight foods account for 90 percent of all reactions in the U.S.: milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, wheat, soy, fish and shellfish. It is estimated that between 150 and 200 people die annually from anaphylaxis to food, including children and young adults. There is no cure. The only way to prevent a reaction is through strict avoidance of the allergy-causing food.
For that reason, it is important to recognize the reaction, Cavanah said. Some signs include hives, swelling, vomiting, diarrhea, swelling of the throat or difficulty breathing.
“Not everyone’s reaction will be the same,” she said. “Everyone needs to have an allergy action plan in place.”
Participants received copies of FAAN’s Food Allergy Action Plan, which detailed steps on treating a food allergy, including when to give a shot of epinephrine, for severe symptoms such as shortness of breath and swelling of the throat or tongue, and when to give an antihistamine for mild symptoms such as an itchy mouth or mild nausea. Cavanah said people should make copies of the plan on brightly colored paper and fill out the information as completely as possible.
“Take it anywhere that your child is and you are not, like church, the nursery or school,” she said.
Those with food allergies should be equipped with medication such as a single dose of liquid or fast dissolving antihistamine or an epinephrine shot in case they have a reaction, Cavanah said.
“You do not want to keep (antihistamine) capsules because it takes a little longer to dissolve,” she said. “We recommend having two (epinephrine shots) available.”
When children are small, it’s easier to carry supplies. As they age, however, it’s harder to get them to carry what they need. Cavanah suggested attractive pouches that can fit into cargo shorts or a belt buckle.
“It’s hard, particularly with boys,” she said. “It’s just not cool to carry around an EpiPen.”
It’s vital that people know how to give injections correctly, Cavanah said.
“The most important thing is how you hold it. Put your palm out like that,” she said, placing the EpiPen in her open palm before enclosing it with her thumb and fingers. “Pull the blue (safety) cap straight out. Once the cap is out, it’s ready to fly.”
Next, the person giving the injection should firmly push the orange tip against the outer thigh and hold it for 10 seconds.
“It’ll go right through clothes. The needle is coming out the orange end. Press it until it clicks,” Cavanah said. “The medication does burn and sting. Gently rub (the area) to make sure the medication is absorbed and dispersed.”
The injector should be put in a bag along with any empty antihistamine containers that were used during the attack, Cavanah.
“It’s because (medical personnel) want to see exactly what you gave them,” she said.
Kenny has already learned to help others keep him safe.
“He will tell people, ‘Is that safe? Have you read the label?’ ” Mary Beth Burton said. “We got him (the wristband) because we though he might be more apt to wear it.”
Jody Burton said people don’t always understand the severity of Kenny’s food allergies. The family not only has to look at food, but also products such as lotion and soap to make sure they are free of tree nuts. He compared the nuts that Kenny is allergic to to poison.
“We’ll hear people say, ‘Just scrape it off,’ ” he said. “Why don’t I just go get some poison and put it on your food and tell you to just scrape it off.”
Mary Beth Burton said they want Kenny to be happy and healthy despite his allergies.
“He can do anything any other child can do,” she said.
— For more information, visit the FEAST Kentucky website at www.kyfeast.org.
