Kate Lancaster, a British mother, is dedicated to raising awareness about children’s food allergies after facing a challenging and isolating journey when her baby developed an allergy to her breast milk.
Lancaster’s daughter, Violet, suffered from rashes and digestive issues, yet it took a long time before her condition was properly diagnosed. Despite her concerns, Lancaster felt “gaslighted” by medical professionals who dismissed her worries, telling her that everything was fine. “Before you get that diagnosis, you’re kind of made to feel like you’re going crazy a bit,” Lancaster, 39, shared with The Times of London. “You’re being told, ‘No, no, everything’s fine,’ that you’re overthinking it or overanxious.”
It wasn’t until a friend suggested that Violet might have a cow’s milk protein allergy (CMPA) that Lancaster learned the cause of her daughter’s discomfort. CMPA is the most common allergy among infants, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics, but Lancaster’s case was unusual: Violet was allergic to the cow’s milk proteins in Lancaster’s breast milk due to the dairy in her diet. Once Lancaster eliminated dairy from her own food intake, Violet’s symptoms improved.
Determined to help other parents avoid the same struggles, Lancaster started sharing her journey on Instagram through her page @thedairyfreemum, which now has 77,000 followers. Along with her website, she aims to educate and support parents facing similar challenges. “That’s really what fuels what I do with the page,” Lancaster explained. “I just don’t want anyone else to have to feel like that. I want there to be better training, more information, more guidance, and more support for allergy parents.”
Lancaster is also working closely with the Natasha Allergy Research Foundation (Narf), a charity established by the parents of Natasha Ednan-Laperouse, who tragically died in 2016 after an allergic reaction to a sandwich containing sesame seeds.
For Lancaster, advocating for allergy awareness has become a personal mission, and she emphasizes the importance of solidarity in addressing the challenges that families with food allergies face. “It’s a really, really tricky, lonely, frustrating journey to actually get to the point of a diagnosis,” she said.
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