Food allergies affect 33 million Americans, and the Mahomes family is among them. Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and wife Brittany Mahomes learned long ago that their daughter Sterling, 3, was allergic to peanuts, milk and eggs. As a result, they wanted to find out early if their son Bronze, 23 months, had similar allergies.
In an Instagram video to promote a joint campaign with Food Allergy Research and Education (FARE) charity, the largest charity supporting food allergy research, and their 15 and the Mahomes Foundation, Patrick and Brittany, both 29, recalled the scary moment when they had to rush Bronze to the emergency room.
“With Bronze, I was doing early introduction. Just with the history of Sterling having allergies, I was trying out different things with Bronze and it was our first day with nuts, and it’s just like a little packet of powder that you add to his bottle,” Brittany explained. “And so he took his bottle and then within 30 or so minutes he became very irritable, very fussy. I took his diaper off and it was just hives and welts everywhere.”
It got worse. Brittany described the hives and welts that eventually spread up Bronze’s body to his face, inciting a panic in her that sent the family rushing to the ER.
“Just seeing his entire body covered in welts and hives and him being so uncomfortable was probably one of the scariest moments of my life,” Brittany recalled.
Patrick felt the same way, adding,”I remember how scared I was and how serious it felt and luckily for us the doctors were able to help and that’s when, to me, it became a serious thing that I needed to really pay attention to.”
Brittany’s previous experience with Sterling served her well. The mom of two, who is expecting a third baby, kept Sterling’s AUVI-Q epinephrine auto-injector nearby while introducing Bronze to nuts. Thankfully, she got him to the hospital in time and did not need to use it.
“As a mom, I know the daily fear of accidental exposure to allergens and how crucial it is to carry life-saving treatments like epinephrine everywhere,” she said.
Now, the Mahomes’ foundation and FARE are working to bring food allergy education to restaurants in the Kansas City area, and in addition to providing staff with education on how to respond to a customer having an allergic reaction.
Comments under the Mahomes’ video highlighted just how impactful the campaign can be. Instagram users described their own allergies or their children’s and the impact that education can make.
“Thank you so much,” wrote one commenter. “As a mom with a peanut allergy little one your continued advocacy means the world!”