'Don't Feed Me' T-shirts: New Option For Parents Of Kids With Food Allergies
Parents of children with food allergies may have a new option for relieving some of the worry they face when sending their kids out into a world full of triggers.
Actress and comedian, Kym Whitley, has unveiled her line of "Don't Feed Me" shirts that will help someone immediately distinguish which foods certain kids can't have. The shirt, which literally reads "Don't Feed Me," gives parents the option of marking off which foods trigger an allergic reaction with their kids.
The reality TV star marketed the idea when she sent her own son, Joshua Whitley, 2, to daycare with his "Don't Feed Me" shirt on. When parents with similar food allergy concerns saw it they just had to have it for their toddlers.
The idea recently came to Whitley after a nanny accidentally fed her son peanut butter sending him into an allergic reaction, ABC News reported.
Whitley has now launched the website Don'tFeedMe.org where she sells these shirts at $10 a piece along with clear bags marked with the same message capable of carrying Epi-Pens, Benadryl and other allergy remedies.
This allergy innovation comes not even a week after college freshman Cameron Groezinger-Fitzpatrick, 19, died after eating a cookie he was told contained no peanut oil resulting in anaphylaxis.
Anaphylaxis is an allergic reaction that can be potentially life threatening if not treated immediately.
Symptoms of an allergic reaction can include stomach pain, hives, obstructed breathing, chest pain, inflamed throat, nasal congestion and nausea.
Food allergies vary by the child's age, so physicians urge parents to get their kids tested for food allergies early and often.
Currently food allergies affect one in 13 children in the U.S. sending someone to the emergency room every 3 minutes.