“My close friends understand my limitations and will make sure that whatever we are doing will be safe”

Growing up with food allergies presented me with unique challenges to overcome. With the severity of my allergies, a very real danger presented itself in everyday life that others simply don’t have to deal with. Although I am now adapted to and accustomed to working around these dangers, the average person doesn’t understand that something as simple as touching my face after making contact with a contaminated surface could cause a hospital visit or worse. I was fortunate enough to have parents who taught me the dangers that having allergies pose, while avoiding instilling a crippling sense of fear. Through this, I was able to be careful in my day to day life without letting myself be consumed by worry. This sense of carefulness has definitely bled into other aspects of my life, as I consider myself as good under pressure, and can make careful decisions in what might be a dangerous situation without panicking. Although there were some positive character traits I gained as a result of my condition, other aspects of my life were negatively impacted. I struggled socially early in my life due to being different from the status quo. As with any trait that’s considered different, children have a tribalistic nature to separate themselves into groups, and sometimes I would feel isolated from others as a result. Having to separate myself from others (for example having to sit at a separate table at lunch to avoid allergens) led me to keep a small tight-knit group of friends. This trait carries with me to this day and I still am a more reserved person socially who keeps to a small group of people who I trust. Although I’ve grown and matured, and so have the people around me, the impacts of allergies on social situations haven't disappeared completely. Activities such as going to restaurants can be difficult, and many times I have had to forgo a social event simply because it would be unsafe to be in the chosen restaurant. My close friends understand my limitations and will make sure that whatever we are doing will be safe, but oftentimes more casual friends won’t understand the risk that it would pose to me. Although my allergies have caused difficulty in some areas of my life, I don’t let them affect me too much, and I make the best of the situation. In some ways they have strengthened my character, and as long as I take the situation in a positive way, living with allergies is just another part of who I am, and hopefully I can use my life with allergies to inform others to raise awareness.

- Evan