Robyn Nasuti shares her tips on keeping her kitchen safe–no small feat, given that two out of her three children have severe food allergies. She also shows how she’s simplified home-made pizza night at her house.
Other videos and posts in the series
In last week’s video, we followed Brett Nasuti at school, where he runs Allergy Awareness Week to raise money for research. Brett is Children’s first patient to go through a new trial that could cure him of his severe food allergies. Hear what he and his classmates have to say.
Celebrity chef Ming Tsai, chef-owner of Blue Ginger restaurant in Wellesley, Massachusetts, is passionate about improving restaurant systems so people with food allergies can eat out safely. The father of a son who has had multiple severe food allergies, Tsai talks about what he’s learned as both a chef and a parent here. Full story »
Here’s a quick look at what Thrive was up to last week.
After suffering a severe spinal cord injury, Jason Fowler took back control of his life and has gone on to compete in a variety of physically challenging races. Should your child get the H1N1 shot? Adrienne Randolph,MD, MSc, from Children’s Medical/Surgical ICU says, YES, you should. We brought you Part 5 of our milk allergy series where celebrity chef Ming Tsai talks about the challenges of eating out with a child who has food allergies. Last week, Massachusetts lawmakers proposed a new state bill aimed at minimizing concussion injuries in youth athletes that would force coaches, trainers, parent volunteers and others affiliated with school athletic programs to be trained in recognizing potentially concussed athletes. A mother shared her story of having to put contact lenses in her two young children’s eyes. Groundbreaking new guidelines about how to treat children with Gender Identity Disorder have been issued by the Endocrine Society. And James Mandell, MD, Children’s Hospital Boston’s CEO, shares why health care workers need to get vaccinated.
If none of this tickles your fancy, let us know what pediatric health or science issue you’d like to hear about.
Brett Nasuti is the first patient to participate in a milk desensitization study at Children’s. In this video—the third in our Milk Allergy series—Brett takes his very first (tiny) sips of cow’s milk. Watch to see how he tolerates the allergen.
To watch last week’s video about Children’s Allergy Program’s Director, Lynda Schneider, MD, discussing the study, click here.
To see the first video, in which Brett and his mom, Robyn, talk about what it’s been like for their family to live with his life-threatening condition and their hopes for the trial’s outcome, click here.
To read Robyn’s account of what it was like when she found out about Brett’s severe allergies, read an excerpt from her diary.
Check back next week to see the Nasuti family take on their regular challenge of food shopping—no easy feat, considering that two out of the three Nasuti children have life-threatening food allergies.
We’d love to hear what you think; share your comments!
My name is Robyn Nasuti and I’m the mother of three children: Brett, 11, (who’s featured in this series and pictured here), Taylor Marie, 10, and Nicholas, 5. Brett is allergic to dairy, peanuts and eggs. Taylor has no food allergies and Nicholas is allergic to peanuts, dairy, eggs, lamb, chicken, turkey, sesame, almond, wheat, oat, spelt, banana, pea and walnut. He just outgrew his soy allergy last month.
My husband, Alan, and I found out about Brett’s allergies when he was 1. I started keeping a journal because every time I went to the doctor, they’d ask me questions about his skin, asthma and reactions, and I couldn’t keep it straight in my head. By writing down my thoughts, I was able to find peace — and also helped doctor’s determine how to best deal with Brett’s allergies.
This is the first in a series of videos about Brett Nasuti, an 11-year-old Children’s Hospital Boston patient who was born allergic to 15 foods. Brett is the very first Children’s patient to go through a milk exposure desensitizationtrial—the first of its kind in the country—which could cure him of his severe milk allergy. In this video, you can watch Brett and his mom, Robyn, talk about what it’s been like for their family to live with his life-threatening condition and their hopes for the trial’s outcome.
Stay tuned each week to follow Brett as he goes through the study, during which he drinks more and more milk after getting injections to ward off allergic reactions. You can see him take his first-ever sip of milk and hear him talk about what it’s like to live with a life-threatening allergy. You can also watch Robyn shop for her two kids with food allergies (she cooks three different dinners each day for her family) and hear Brett’s classmates talk about what they’ve learned from him. Plus, check back to see Lynda Schneider, MD, the director of Children’s Allergy Program, discuss the shocking rise in food allergies and how this trial represents a path to a potential cure.
Also, in October, we’ll publish a story about Brett and the study in Dream, Children’s magazine for patients and families.
Do you have food allergies or have a child with them? How have they impacted your life?
Have thoughts about why there’s been such a dramatic increase in food allergies in recent years? Share them here.
Do you have a Children's Hospital Boston story you'd like heard? By sharing your Children's story you can be a great source of inspiration and encouragement to families who are going through similar situations. And it’s a great way to find support by connecting with others. Share your story today »
My name is Robyn Nasuti and I’m the mother of three children: Brett, 11, (who’s featured in this series and pictured here), Taylor Marie, 10, and Nicholas, 5. Brett is allergic to dairy, peanuts and eggs. Taylor has no food allergies and Nicholas is allergic to peanuts, dairy, eggs, lamb, chicken, turkey, sesame, almond, wheat, oat, spelt, banana, pea and walnut. He just outgrew his soy allergy last month.
