| Description: | Unsatisfied with the range of options available, we decided to produce a sustainable T.Shirt that said it all. The Allergy Logo is on the back which helps ‘quietly shout’ for others to BE AWARE without the child feeling different. We created the design to be fun and cool to wear. My son always chose to put on these Allergy T.Shirts at social events, parties, restaurants and on holidays. This gave confidence for him to start managing responsibility and helped others to be more vigilant. It has such a positive impact on negotiating his allergies. Life with an allergy can make social events difficult and worrying. One way we found that helped, was to advertise our son’s allergy on the back of his T.Shirts. The best thing was he loved wearing them. He loved wearing them so much, that it was top of the list to be packed for holidays and events. Food allergies impact not only on the social life of the person with the allergy, but also for their family and friends. Severe food allergies can cause serious health consequences, and must be managed carefully. Food is central to all our lives and is inextricably linked with our general health and well-being. We use food to mark celebrations from festive seasons, birthday parties, school events, school trips, restaurants and sleepovers to name but a few. There is always food involved somewhere. This is when it can be anxiety-provoking and some children may even choose to avoid certain activities. At only 18 months old, we discovered our son had a severe peanut and egg allergy. To help us cope and make everyone understand, I sewed an allergy warning onto the back of his favourite T.Shirts. The most common times for accidental exposure, occur when people are out of their familiar environment or routine, or amongst people who are unaware that a person has allergies. Negotiating these challenges can be hard. It is crucial to find places to eat, with trusted adults who understand and take responsibility. The T.Shirts always start subtle conversations, often without the child noticing. This is where the Allergy T. Shirt was so useful. QUIETLY SHOUTING and making ALL AWARE! Taking a positive view of the condition the BOOTNAUT ALLERGY T.SHIRT became a favourite resource. It helps us negotiate the challenges of living with food allergies and promotes vigilance. |
