The SpecialMoms Parenting Magazine Issue 5 | Page 7

“be’s” every day, is the way I strive to be in my
life. He is joyful, loving, affectionate, and has
an insane sense of humor. His food allergies are
just a small part of his life, but in no sense define who he is.

I know that your son’s allergies started you in
the business of baking organic and allergen
free baked goods, but what made you decide
to turn it into a business?
Actually, I had my business before my son was
born. Sweet Debbie’s Organic Cupcakes started in 2006 and my son was born in 2008. I initially started my bakery because I was hungry
for a cupcake that had no refined sugar in it.
At the time, that was nowhere to be found, so
I founded my bakery to satisfy my sweet tooth.
It blossomed into a business when I realized
other people were hungry for the same exact
thing.

It has to be terrifying to travel or eat out. How
do you overcome those fears, so that you and
your family can enjoy these moments?
Unfortunately, we do not eat out at all or travel much. Our usual “outing” will be to Whole
Foods and dine al fresco so my son can eat a
rotisserie chicken on the benches and feel like
he’s dining at a restaurant.

When my son was born with his food allergies,
I revamped my bakery to make it free from the
top 8 allergens, free from gluten and, as always,
free from sugar. I did this in 2010 to accommodate the millions of kids and adults who have
these restrictions.

When meeting new parents of a child with
food allergies, what advice or support would
you share with them?
We meet new food allergy parents all the time
since my husband and I are the leaders of the
San Fernando Food Allergy Support Group.
We tell these parents to take it one step at a
time and be ever vigilant. Vigilance will help
prevent any accidents from occurring. And as
your child grows, help and teach them how
to be vigilant so that when they are with their
friends and on their own, they can keep themselves safe.

Juggling a business
can be difficult
for anyone. How
do you balance
being both a
caregiver and a
business woman? Share with
us some tips.

Looking into the future, what do you wish
for your child?
I wish that the scientific research going on now
at various hospitals around the country, will
lead to a cure or specific treatment for food allergies. I hope my son