Several years ago, I shared our family's journey with food allergies and how terrifying Halloween actually was for me. With every door we visited all I felt was fear. Fear a Reese's Cup may end up in my toddler's candy bag or fear that I had to watch my little lad sadly walk away from yet another door he knew had nothing for him. He always took it in stride, but I knew. I knew. And it was awful.
This is why I am so very passionate about The Teal Pumpkin Project. It's such a beautiful, wonderful way to make Halloween safe and enjoyable for so many children in our neighborhoods. It's a promise to have something other than just food treats on your porch. Little erasers or pencils or stickers or glow sticks make wonderful treats for children who have to pass on the Skittles or Snickers.
According to F.A.R.E., an estimated 5.9 million children under the age of 18 live with food allergies. 30% of those children have allergies to more than one food. That's 1 in every 13 children or about 2 per classroom. (These stats do not include the multitudes of children living with severe food intolerances or other gastrointenstinal problems). So odds are, that a child in your neighborhood can't have a lot of the candies we associate with Halloween. For these children, a teal pumpkin means they are included too.
My little boy never complained about not being able to have what was offered at a door. He smiled and said thank you every time and politely declined. Kids are resilient and while he took it in stride, it always crushed me inside. But I knew that most people just hadn't thought about it - just like I never did until I was the parent with a child with food allergies.
And that's all I'm asking of you now. Please consider putting a Teal Pumpkin on your porch (or even a picture of one so the kiddos know) and offer a non-food goodie in addition to the Nerds and the Twizzlers and the Tootsie Rolls this year. This food allergy mama will appreciate it more than you'll know.
-Liz
Find our more about The Teal Pumpkin Project and put your house on the map today.
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(Food allergy is not food intolerance. Food allergy triggers the body's immune system and can be life threatening. There is no such thing as a mild or severe food allergy. Reactions can be unpredictable. An estimated 150 deaths from anaphylaxis every year are attributed to food allergy. According to the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act (FALCPA), the eight most common allergenic foods (of the 160 known) are: milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat and soybeans. While checking ingredient labels can be helpful, it cannot be relied upon in cases of cross-contact or cross-contamination. Consumer packaged food products containing two or more ingredients are required to list all top allergens on ingredient labels. However, if a product is manufactured near allergens or in the same factory or on shared lines, that information is not required.)
