Until you have or are familiar with a child with life threatening food allergies, it is hard to appreciate the need for everyone in their immediate environment to be aware of the potential impact of their food allergies. As a parent of a child with multiple food allergies, which all result in anaphylaxis, I cling to the adage “It takes a village to raise a child” like a lifeboat. When I leave Gabe at school, I need the teachers, helpers, and parents to be aware that simple pleasures for them might be very dangerous for my son. That’s why I especially love the messages on the t-shirts from Blue Bear.

Fashionable enough that older kids will want to wear them, with styles that echo other kid trends (e.g., princess, camo, etc.), the tees send a message that allergies are not something to be kept secret, but require awareness and respect from others in the community. My favorites are the Be Alert, Food Can Hurt and Allergy Alert dragon tees.

Blue Bear Aware also sells Allergy Alert iron-on or sew-on badges to be worn on jackets or backpacks as an extra identifier for kids on the playground or playing sports. They have Epi-pen carry cases in fun, funky styles for boys and girls, and stickers to put on lunch containers indicating that foods are peanut or dairy free, with an option to buy blank stickers to customize according to your family’s needs.”

Image credit: Don’t Feed this Princess design, courtesy of Blue Bear Aware.