Family solidarity with the allergy sufferer

Time: 3 min

Family solidarity with the allergy sufferer

Ella Macher, 16, from Bäretswil ZH suffers from severe food allergies. Her parents Sandra and Andreas and brother Flynn, 12, have therefore turned their own diet upside down.

Sandra: Her first semolina porridge almost cost Ella her life. She developed a rash, her throat swelled up and she lost consciousness. Ella had an allergic shock as a baby. It turned out that she was highly allergic to wheat - as well as nuts, eggs and milk. Ella: Today, my reactions are no longer life-threatening. I even tried bread the other day - and afterwards I only had a stomach ache. Experimenting doesn't always go well. Andreas: When you tried milk foam, you were out of action for two days. Sandra: Reactions like that used to be commonplace. If another child ate ice cream and touched Ella with unwashed fingers, she would react with hives. Ella: I hardly remember that.

I can't understand how people want to make themselves interesting with pseudo-allergies.

Ella Macher

Sandra: On the other hand, the fear that Ella might catch something wrong still characterises me to this day. I told the kindergarten teacher that Ella wasn't even allowed to share the recorder with others, teachers and parents of school friends were informed and special meals were organised for the class camp. I was on pins and needles for years. Ella: The fact that mum can't leave the role of my protector is a big issue between us. Andreas: It also leads to conflicts between us parents because I support Ella's desire to experiment. As a doctor, I'm more interested in her reactions than frightened by them. At the same time, I understand Sandra, because dealing with Ella's allergies in everyday life is mainly up to her.

Sandra: I used to cook two different dishes for every meal. At some point I outgrew it, and now Andreas is also a vegetarian with a special diet. Flynn: We usually all eat «Ella-style» - that's a fixed term for us. Sometimes me and Dad have some cheese with it. Sandra: Flynn has often had to take a back seat in recent years, I haven't had the capacity to cater for his dietary requirements. Flynn: Sometimes I grumble too. Most of the time I see it in a positive light: Ella's allergies made us inventive - and cooking more exciting. Sandra: The vegan trend has brought us many new products. Ella: Unfortunately, there is also a trend to publicise pseudo-allergies. I can't understand how people want to make themselves interesting when I only ever wanted one thing: not to attract attention with my allergies.