It is not unusual for my son to beat me when we play tennis
and for my score to remain at "love" the entire game. The word
"love" often is used in a positive way, but unfortunately for me, not
when it comes to tennis scoring. That's OK. The tennis court is a place that
makes my son the happiest and for that, I'm fine with having the
"love" score because of the feelings I have had for my son for a
decade.
We just celebrated Joseph's 10th birthday. Ten
years ago when my tiny baby came screaming into this world (right along with
me), my husband and I had no idea that we would soon be entering life with food
allergies. He had 10 tiny toes and 10 perfect little fingers. Our biggest
debate was whether he would be a Penn State fan like his Mama or a West
Virginia fan like his Dada. Well, even that turned out to be a surprise
— my child is a Gators fan.
Within Joseph's first year of life he had his first
anaphylactic reaction to dairy. One small teaspoon of yogurt and suddenly we
were going down an unfamiliar, scary path. During the past 10 years, we have
learned so much about Joseph's life-threatening allergies to peanuts, tree
nuts, wheat, milk, egg, soy, sesame and mustard, along with his asthma. As our
son has grown, so has the world of food allergies.
During Joseph's life, the number of people with food
allergies has increased to about 15 million Americans, including 1 in 13 kids,
according to Food Allergy Research &
Education (FARE). With that growth has come more allergy-friendly products,
advances in research regarding food allergies, laws to require better labeling
and to ensure that epinephrine is required in more schools across the country,
and even more options in the type of epinephrine self-injector available to
save lives. The amount of support and resources has increased too, especially
thanks to social networking. There are several products geared toward food
allergies, such as cookbooks, children's books and even music, especially the
songs written and performed by food allergy musician Kyle Dine.
But there is still much work to be done. For example, more
research is essential to find a cure for food allergies. There is a need for
more education about food allergies so that our children are not bullied and so
caretakers understand all of the foods and products in which allergens show up,
and that even one tiny speck of that allergen can mean the end of a child's
life.
We have had plenty of challenges (both medically and
emotionally), scares, trips to the emergency room and doctor visits. My love
for Joseph makes my heart break when he feels anxious about unsafe food being
near him, isolated when he's left out because of his food allergies or scared
when he has trouble breathing.
But those challenges are just a part of living with food
allergies. We have navigated food allergies and asthma while nurturing our
sweet, funny boy and fostering his positive attitude while teaching him how to
safely enjoy his life. As I watched Joseph play in a recent tennis tournament, I
was thrilled to see him healthy and happy as can be running around the court.
I am so proud of my 10-year-old boy, whose inquisitive mind
makes him a joy to talk to, whether we are discussing a book he's reading,
trivia he has learned about his favorite tennis player Novak Djokovic or the
latest Lego creation he is dreaming up. Just like lots of kids his age, he
likes when I make pizza for dinner, has fierce competitions with his Dad on the
Wii, cheers for his favorite hockey team, plays with his little sister, rolls
his eyes when I embarrass him and has fun with his friends.
The day before his tenth birthday Joseph wrote in his
journal: "When I'm 10, I want to read more, make more Legos, play more
tennis, have fun and be a kid."
So as Joseph stands across from me on the tennis court and
serves, — 15-love, 30-love, 40-love, game — I'm just happy to be a part of
a game he loves.
