First Steps

After my 21 month old son, DJ, was diagnosed with severe life-threatening peanut allergy, my first thought was "How am I going to keep my son safe?" Sleepless nights between his first reaction (which landed us in the St. Joes emergency room for a third Sunday in a row) and an appointment with his allergist three weeks later had worst case scenarios running endlessly through my mind. I worried about everything and anything. For other parents of PA kids, you probably know exactly what I'm talking about. Every situation where food is involved seems like a minefield. I wondered how we could live our lives as normally as possible, without ever putting DJ at risk.

Up until DJ's diagnosis, we had eaten out around Toronto dozens of times without incidence. Eating out was a big part of our social lives...Sunday brunch with friends on Roncessvalles, Dim Sum at Harbourfront with family, Friday night sushi...you get the idea.

Don't get me wrong. My first concern was, and always will be, for my boy. Still, I worried that life the way we knew it might be over. Then, I talked to a former colleague who has managed to navigate life without incidence. Not only did he put my mind at ease, he assured me that he's eaten out safely all over the city. Since then, I've started calling around to do my own research, to find where we can eat out safely. I'll keep you posted on what I find out...which restaurants have PA-friendly menus and are willing to accomodate us, and which ones don't and won't.