Mum sets up allergy support group for families

Kirsty said she knew "something wasn't right" when Mahlia vomited every time she was fed milk after she was born

A mother has set up a support network for parents in Derbyshire who have children with allergies.

Kirsty's daughter, Mahlia, now aged three, was diagnosed with allergies to milk, eggs, and sesame at seven months old.

This followed hospital investigations after Mahlia had anaphylaxis - a life-threatening allergic reaction - caused by sesame seeds in tahini paste.

In June, Kirsty, 34, founded the Derbyshire Allergy Network and holds monthly meetups in Mackworth.

According to the charity Allergy UK, 44% of British adults suffer from at least one allergy, and the number of sufferers is on the rise.

A further 40% of children have also been diagnosed with an allergy - they include food allergies, hay fever, eczema, asthma and hay fever.

A supportive space

As a newborn, Mahlia vomited every time she was fed milk.

"She was sick all the time; she was feeding every five minutes because she was constantly hungry," said Kirsty.

"We went back and forth to the doctors, and at first they thought it was just reflux, which I didn't think was correct."

After conducting her own research, she became increasingly convinced that her daughter's symptoms were linked to allergies.

Doctors conducted tests on Mahlia, and once her results came back, they gave Kirsty an EpiPen, which is a device that delivers adrenaline quickly to prevent a severe allergic reaction.

After setting up the support group, Kirsty said it was sad to receive messages from parents who were having issues dealing with their children's allergies.

"I was surprised at the response from people," she added. "It was sad to see so many messages about what people were going through.

"There's some wonderful national charities doing amazing things, but I was after something with a different purpose, which was meeting people who had been through or were going through something similar.

"I'm not a medical professional or allergy expert; I just wanted to create a supportive space."

Susie says she felt isolated when she was told her daughter Alice was allergic to milk, peas and lentils

In Kegworth, Leicestershire, Susie joined the group after she was told her three-year-old daughter Alice was allergic to milk, peas and lentils.

Susie said she now felt less alone after she sought support from the Derbyshire Allergy Network.

"It's very isolating; you second-guess yourself and feel like you're going mad because, I thought, 'why on earth would a child be allergic to peas?'

"The group is something I always look forward to going to every month and talking to people who just get it.

"Those people give me advice, insight and reassurance that it never gets easy but tell me you do get used to it."

Kirsty said it had been really powerful to see connections being formed between people who attended the group.

"It's nice for people to say 'my child has those same allergies', and it's nice to learn new things about other people and their children.

"We hope the group can create a more inclusive and safe place for our children to grow up in," she added.