Welcome to our awareness shop!
 

I'm a mother of two amazing girls. I have a 6-year-old and a 12-year-old, both of whom have food allergies. Between the two of them, we were avoiding peanuts, tree nuts, wheat, eggs, sesame, sunflower, and milk. Now, we are just avoiding peanuts and eggs. The purpose of our movement is to raise awareness about children with food allergies. We aim to educate both adults and children about the importance of keeping children with food allergies safe, and how to be prepared if an allergic reaction were to occur. We want to ensure that what happened to us doesn't happen to you, whether it's with your child or a child you're caring for.
 

When Lena was a baby, I had the biggest scare of my life. I gave her a taste of mashed potatoes from a restaurant, and shortly after we arrived home, she had an allergic reaction. I had no clue what was going on! All I knew was that something was wrong due to the puffiness and redness on her face, which immediately terrified me.

The sound of her scream made me panic even more.
 

After rushing her to the hospital, I was informed that she had an allergic reaction and that this reaction could have been remedied with over-the-counter medication. Although this was the case, I was still unprepared. First I panicked, and secondly, I didn't have the necessary medication.
 

As irrelevant as allergies seemed to be in the past, so many children are now being affected by them. In some cases, an allergic reaction can be deadly if not urgently and properly cared for. Therefore, we must be more prepared and ensure that the people around us or those caring for our children are prepared as well.
 

Let's get to know each other! I would love to share and learn more about what it takes to keep children safe and discover ways to make our jobs easier when caring for them.
 

Please follow us on Instagram: @lamandbeyond, @lenas_bows, and @storytimewithpurpose. We have so many awesome things in store.
 

Love, Marshella, Lena, & Nia