The SpecialMoms Parenting Magazine Issue 5 | Page 18

How To Plan A
Vacation When Your
Child Has
Food Allergies
By Lauren Kossack

I

used to live for vacations. When I worked full
time, I constantly lived for the next trip or significant amount of time off. I dreamed about
the places I’d go, the people I’d see, and even
the food I’d taste. Especially during those long winter months that I had in Indiana. At times, dreaming
about vacation and counting down the days until I could escape the cold was all that got me through.
Fast forward a few years to when both of my sons came into the world. I knew that vacations would
be different now that I had kids, but that didn’t matter. I wasn’t going to let anything stop me from
traveling and at times escaping to that little piece of heaven on earth. What I didn’t know at that time
was that both of my little men had multiple life-threatening food allergies.
Following their diagnosis, I didn’t want to go anywhere. Home was our safe haven. It was the only
place where I didn’t have to worry about what my little men ate and touched. After about a year of
learning all of the things that I could do to keep my little men safe, I began to feel safe as well. I finally
thought, “I’ve got this!” and was ready to tackle a family vacation. After all, it had been a good 3 years
since I’d been anywhere outside of Indiana.
My family invited us to join them on a trip to