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Paizo the Peanut Allergy Pixie

I like: wind up things and stars

I don’t like: peanuts!!! (I’m allergic to them!)

My favourite food is: Acorn Surprise

My favourite colour is: blue

I am good at: painting and counting

I am not good at: reading

Things I find challenging are: saying ‘th’ and handwriting

Paizo's Blog

“Serious Food Allergies - Anaphylaxis”

Click play to listen while you read!

G’day. I’m Paizo. The red house in Toadstool Village is my place.

I love living in a toadstool. It’s great fun.

I live there with my mum and dad and my little brother, Ping Pong, but the best thing is … my flying bunny, Fluffypan. He’s a great pet. Do you have any pets?

I’m lucky. I’m not allergic to fur but my friend, Marzee is, so when she comes over, we play outside, away from the bunnies. Fluffypan doesn’t mind. He enjoys flying around Sprizzetania with all the other flying bunnies. They like to visit all the other magical creatures who live in the Fairy Floss Forest.

I have to be careful in there though, because deep in the forest there are peanuts growing and I’m very allergic to peanuts. Even the tiniest bit of peanut gives me anaphylaxis. That’s a big word and I didn’t know what it meant until I had it at my birthday party.

Anaphylaxis means a really bad allergic reaction that makes you so sick you need a special needle to save your life. Anaphylaxis is really scary to have, but it can also be scary for people with you. When I had anaphylaxis, my little brother was crying too because he didn’t know what was happening to me.

The first time it happened to me, my tongue started tingling, my mouth felt funny and my tummy was churning. Then my skin got very red – bright red, and I was so itchy that I couldn’t stop scratching.

I started coughing and it was hard to breathe. Luckily, Tinker and Buzz came quickly in their flying ambulance and gave me a needle that helped me breathe again. I had to stay in the Twisty Woo Hospital for hours before I was allowed to go home. That was really boring.

Another time, my face and tongue swelled up. I felt my throat closing up and I couldn’t talk properly. Daddy had my EpiPen with us and he gave it to me straight away and called the ambulance again. I didn’t like Daddy giving me the needle. It hurt, but the doctor said Daddy saved my life.

Now I have to take my EpiPen with me wherever I go. Sometimes Mummy carries it in her bag, but if I go out with my friends, or I’m at school, another grown-up looks after it.

When I am bigger, I will have to be responsible for taking it everywhere myself. I can do that. I’m going to be responsible.

My friends are really understanding. They always remind me to grab my medical bag if I forget, especially at school. I need to have it with me if we go to the library or to the sports field … absolutely everywhere. I don’t ever want to have anaphylaxis again, so I have to be really careful with what I eat. Sometimes it’s tricky because peanuts can be hiding in other foods like biscuits or satay chicken, so I never eat anything unless my mum or dad (or a grown-up I trust who knows all about my allergies) tells me it’s okay.

I don’t know if I’m going to be allergic to peanuts forever because my body can change as I grow so I keep having appointments with Dr Staroni so she can check my allergies.

Do you or someone you know have food allergies too? Maybe you have an EpiPen too. Maybe you have to be careful what you eat. Why don’t you write and tell me about it? (Check with your parent or carer first and remember not to give away your real name. Make up a cool pixie name instead!)

Send it to me by email: [email protected].