Patient Voices Blog | Latitude Food Allergy Care

June 24, 2022

Marco and Nicole’s Story — A Shared Journey

Marco was first diagnosed with food allergies at the age of one. By the time he was a senior in high school and first came to Latitude in 2019, he had already outgrown 4 of his 16 allergies. That year Marco and his family had received encouraging news after blood work with their longtime allergist — but he needed to go through 12 oral food challenges (OFCs) to determine if all of his allergens had been outgrown. Attempting to complete all of the OFCs — often 4 hour or more appointments, sometimes requiring spacing more than a week a part — in a short period of time seemed virtually impossible. The wait time to get into his existing doctor was very long and those types of appointments were very limited. Serendipitously, around the same time, Marco’s mom, Nicole, met Latitude co-founder and fellow food allergy parent, Julie Bitler, at an allergy conference. Nicole was excited about the opportunity that Latitude provided for Marco to get answers quickly and the possibility for OIT in the future. Their story has brought both mother and son on a 20 year journey.

May 31, 2022

Asian American Pacific Islander Food Allergy Experiences

May is Food Allergy Awareness Month, during which many of us have been sharing facts and our personal experiences living with food allergies. The month of May also happens to be Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, a time to celebrate our AAPI culture and stories. Sharon Wong of Nut Free Wok, shares her experiences as a Chinese-American food allergy advocate and food blogger, and includes some of her fellow AAPI food allergy mom bloggers to share their experiences as AAPI food allergy moms. Read on to see what her friends Jenny Lee from Clean Eating Gluten Free Foodie and Rochie DeSagun from The Frugalista Mom have to say.

September 23, 2021

Klara’s Food Allergy Journey

Suzanne’s daughter Klara was born with eczema and started to show hives and rashes after eating her first foods. Initially, Suzanne didn’t know where to go for care. Here is her story and experience at Latitude.

January 21, 2021

COVID-19 Vaccine and Food Allergies

With the FDA approval for emergency use of the first vaccine for SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID), there is ongoing dialogue in the food allergy community about use in allergic individuals. The FDA has determined that individuals with food allergies can safely be given the vaccine.

December 15, 2020

Food Allergy Blood Tests Without Tears

Pediatric phlebotomist, Jen Perez, is a specialist in blood draws for babies and young children. She shares her tips for an easy and smooth experience for parents and children when blood testing is needed. Jen also shares her career path and commitment to the food allergy patients and families at Latitude Food Allergy Care.

November 30, 2020

Collin’s Food Allergy Journey

Melissa’s son Collin was diagnosed with multiple food allergies as an infant. Collin, age 6, reached maintenance dosing with oral immunotherapy to peanut, cashew, and walnut in the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Melissa shares their food allergy journey from diagnosis to treatment, and what success looks like to their family.

October 8, 2020

Dr. Kari Nadeau’s new book is a must read for anyone with known or suspected food allergies

The End of Food Allergy is a must read for anyone with known or suspected food allergies. Kari Nadeau, MD, PhD, Latitude co-founder and head of the Sean N. Parker Center for Allergy and Asthma Research at Stanford University, and food allergy parent Sloan Barnett, offer readers an approachable guide to the science behind food allergies and the life changing treatment options that are now available.

September 24, 2020

Tessa’s Journey from fear to advocacy

Tessa Grosso’s childhood with food allergies was marked with fear and countless visits to the doctor and the ER. When her mom, Kimberley Yates, partnered with Dr. Kari Nadeau to find a solution for Tessa’s severe multiple food allergies, Tessa ultimately became the first person to be treated for multiple food allergies with oral immunotherapy. Today, as a community advocate and an advisor for Latitude, she uses her experience to help create access to care for all food allergy families. She shares her story of transformation in her own words.

July 17, 2020

Jacqueline’s Food Allergy Journey

Jacqueline is a rising high school sophomore with multiple food allergies including eggs, dairy, tree nuts, and peanut. She is a member of the FARE Teen Advisory Group and is passionate about volunteering at local food banks and providing allergy-friendly food to families in need. Jacqueline shares her journey of participation in a clinical trial, multiple food challenges to clarify her diagnosis, and advocacy for herself and other families impacted by food allergies.

June 22, 2020

Nicole’s Food Allergy Journey

Michelle’s daughter Nicole was diagnosed with food allergies as an infant. Now during the COVID-19 pandemic, Nicole, age 4, has reached maintenance dosing with oral immunotherapy to peanuts. Michelle shares their food allergy journey from diagnosis to treatment, from fear and confusion to empowerment and gratitude.

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