Meet Your Bloggers | Food Allergic Teens

Hi! I’m Alia, and I’m a 17-year-old Junior from Westerville Ohio! I created this blog so no one would have to feel alone when navigating life with allergies. I am allergic to dairy, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, kiwi, coconut, avocado, banana, and peas. I also avoid rice, oats, and chocolate. I enjoy reading and writing in my free time, and I'm a section leader in my school’s marching band! I’ve played the flute since sixth grade, and really love it. My favorite class is English, and I hope to one day become a special education teacher.

Hi, my name is Emily and I’m a 15-year-old sophomore from Albany, New York! I’m so excited to help work on this blog and have a place to share my experiences as a teen with food allergies. I’m allergic to peanuts and tree nuts. I love theatre, singing, playing guitar, ukulele, and piano, as well as art, baking, camping, traveling, reading, and writing. I love Disney and I want to work as an Imagineer when I’m older. My favorite movie is the Wizard of Oz, and my favorite book is the Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan. I can’t wait to make a difference in the lives of people with food allergies!

Hi, I'm Cadence Rosenblum. I am a 17 year old Junior who lives in Boston, Massachusetts, and I'm so excited to have a platform to talk about living as a teen with food allergies! I am allergic to eggs and nuts, and also avoid sunflower seeds, peas, and coconut. Aside from my allergies, I loves to dance and choreograph, cook delicious egg and nut free food, play field hockey, and am the head of my school’s feminism club! My favorite subjects in school are math and science, and I hope to possibly pursue a career in the medical realm.

Hi! I’m Ally, and I’m a 16-year-old junior from Spartanburg, South Carolina! I’m allergic to peanuts and tree nuts, and I’m excited to be a part of this blog. I love reading, drawing, and I’m one of the officers of my school’s medical society. I also enjoy video games like Pokémon and listening to showtunes. My favorite subject is science, and I want to become an allergist.

Hi, my name is Ellie and I am a 19 year old sophomore at Iowa State University! Throughout my life, I have experienced many trials and tribulations when it comes to living life with food allergies; from navigating college, dating, and traveling across the globe the challenges for teens with food allergies are endless. I am excited to share any advice, new perspectives, and stories that may lighten the burden of food allergies! As for a little about me, I am a management information systems major and business analytics minor. I am also a dancer for the Iowa State dance team where I dance at football and basketball games, and compete at a national competition in Daytona Beach! When I'm not studying or dancing, you can find me hanging out with my sorority sisters of Chi Omega!

My name is Rhett Needleman; I am a 14 year old 8th grader from Scarsdale, New York. I attend Scarsdale Middle School. I’m allergic to tree nuts, and sheep and goat milk. In addition, I have an exercise-induced anaphylactic reaction to wheat, shrimp, and dairy with immediate and heavy exercise. Unfortunately, I am very experienced in how to respond when I have an allergic reaction, since it has happened many times. My allergies are a prevailing and omnipresent burden in my life which I am learning to cope with and accept. I have been active in FARE and a member of its Teen Advisory Group (TAG) for two years. I love the new relationships that I have formed and knowledge that I gained from FARE, its programs, and my peers. I am an active person and play basketball and lacrosse. I love taking bike rides, going on jogs, and exercising in general. Aside from school and sports, I enjoy spending time with my friends and reading. I look forward to continuing to contribute to the world of food allergies and working with other teens affected by food allergies.

Hello, I'm Lauren! I am 15 years old and a freshman in high school, and I'm so excited to be a part of this blog! I am allergic to dairy, egg, and kiwi. I also have asthma and Crohn's Disease. In my free time, I enjoy hanging out with friends, reading, and doing yoga!

Hi! I'm Parker Peterson and I'm a 15 year old sophomore from Chicago, Illinois! I'm so excited to work on this blog and help other teens navigate food allergies by giving advice and talking about my experiences. I'm allergic to peanuts, tree nuts, sesame seeds, and sunflower seeds. I play ice hockey and tennis, and when I'm not playing sports, I enjoy spending time with my friends, going to the beach, and live music.

Hi! My name is Zerrin Dulger and I am a 15 year old sophmore from Marlboro, New Jersey. I have been living with severe anaphylactic peanut, tree nut, and legume allergies for practically my entire life. I am a member of my school's Mock Trial Team, Law and Service Magnet Program, and am the founder and President of the Food Allergy Awareness Club at my High School. In my free time I enjoy reading, writing, playing soccer, playing piano, making art, and hanging out with my friends! In my free time I also run my personal Allergy Awareness blog https://dulgerzerrin.wixsite.com/thenutfreelife-1. It is my dream to have a world that is more Food Allergy Aware, and I am hopeful that this blog can help, and am excited to provide any kind of help that I can give.

Hi! My name is Megan and I am 16 years old living in San Francisco, California! I was diagnosed with my first food allergies at the age of 6 months old and life has been quite exciting yet exhausting ever since. I am allergic to all nuts, peanuts, dairy, sesame, sunflower and pumpkin seeds! As a teenager simple things like traveling, birthday parties and school can be an adventure and I always have to be on my toes. I am very grateful to be part of such an amazing allergen supportive community. My ultimate goal is to support and educate people around the world who suffer from allergies. A little bit about me: I love being with my friends, basketball, and interior design and I hope to be an attorney one day! I am so excited to work on this blog and help people with allergies like me feel a lot more comfortable on a day to day basis!

Hi, my name is Emily, and I’m 19 years old and a sophomore at Scripps College in Claremont, California! I have lived my whole life with a severe peanut allergy and have been gluten free since I developed a gluten allergy over 6 years ago. In college, I am a Public Policy and Economics major and serve as the student body Secretary. I also play Division III Water Polo and am excited to share how I balance collegiate athletics and traveling for competitions with my food allergies. In my free time, I love to spend time at the beach, go to Disneyland, visit National Parks, and explore allergy friendly restaurants throughout California. I’m so excited to work on this blog and hope that my experiences can help other teens navigate the challenges of living with food allergies.

Hi everyone! My name is Quinn Barton, and I’m an 18-year-old senior from Youngstown, Ohio. Throughout my life, I’ve had a lot of food allergies, from fish to nuts to shellfish to peanuts, but I have since outgrown most of them. Currently, I’m still allergic to peanuts, and I do OIT trials for both pistachios and cashews. I’ve definitely been forced to navigate life in a unique manner because of my allergies, and I look forward to sharing my experiences and advice through this project! Next year, I will be attending Boston University for journalism and foreign affairs. I love photography— I own my own photography business! – reading, traveling, and I might have a slight caffeine addiction… and by that, I mean a huge love for coffee.

Hi! My name is Emily, and I am a 14 year old from North Carolina. I have a tree nut and peanut allergy, and I hope to help people with food allergies and raise awareness for food allergies through writing for this blog. Some facts about me: I love Disney, I love to travel, my favorite place to travel to is Hawaii, my favorite book series is Harry Potter, and I enjoy acting. In my free time I like to play piano, attempt to learn to play the ukulele, bake, and sing. I am so excited to work on this blog and help people with food allergies!

My name is Sara Hantgan and I am a 17-year old junior from Westchester, New York. I have a severe anaphylactic allergy to dairy, sesame, and mustard, however, I am also allergic to tree nuts, avocado, and banana. I am a competitive cheerleader and take part in a science research program at my school, where–you guessed it!–I’m researching food allergies. Aside from school and sports, I love spending time with my friends, and cooking and baking new recipes with allergen friendly alternatives. I am really excited to contribute to the world of food allergies, as they have impacted my life for as long as I can remember.

My name is George VanHaaften. I live in Ann Arbor, MI and attend Saline High School. I am a 16-year old sophomore. I have severe food allergies to peanuts, tree nuts, dairy, eggs, and legumes. I play a lot of basketball and spend my free time hanging with friends, listening to music, watching Netflix, and playing video games. Aside from all of that stuff, I like to edit and take photos with Adobe Photoshop and I hope to become a sports psychologist someday. I’m excited to share my journey through food allergies so far and I hope to make an impact on someone out there.

Hi! My name is Maura Yodice and I am 13 and in 8th grade. I am allergic to peanuts (since I was one) and tree nuts (since I was 7). I’m from Long Island, New York. I am a competitive dancer of 6 years, and love to bake and paint. My favorite subject in school is gym, and when I get older I would like to be a forensic psychologist, which is

basically what they do in Criminal Minds.

I’m Nick Venegas, and I’m a 16 year old sophomore in Sacramento, California. I’m allergic to eggs, milk, nuts, wheat, and soy. I’m an avid writer and I write articles for the school’s newspaper. I design and assemble circuit boards on my school’s robotics team as well. I like to play video games too. I’m especially interested in electrical engineering and chemistry.

Hi, my name is Kenzi. I am 17 years old and from Florida. I am a competitive swimmer, highly academically motivated, photographer, jet skier, and classical saxophonist. I have faced and conquered many challenges regarding my severe peanut and tree nut allergies. I try to prove every day that I can live life completely normal, and that my allergies don’t define who I am. I can do anything except coming in contact with or ingesting my food allergens. I am happy to give advice and guidance to people about anything regarding life with food allergies. I am proud to be me.

Aishani Aatresh is a rising freshman at Harvard University from Saratoga, CA. She is allergic to cashews, pistachios, papayas, jackfruit, and avocado; she had her first allergic reaction at six-months-old. In 2017, she gave a TEDx talk about her allergies and how they can serve as a lens to inform a universally applicable worldview. Aishani loves doing anything outdoors (as dictated by her glass ankles), traveling, watching late-night comedy, and being involved in her school community (especially with the TEDx program she started at her high school after giving her talk). She also has worked at a biotech company, Distributed Bio, since 2018. She aspires to pursue a career at the intersection of genetics, immunology, and computer science, with an emphasis on the power of collaboration and a sprinkle of public policy.

I am Abigail Baliles, and I am a 15 year old freshman at Fannin County High School with life-threatening food allergies. My allergies include eggs, peanuts, and all tree nuts. My mother is the co-founder of the Northeast Georgia Food Allergy Support Group, and I also help with the support group. I have also helped the support group prepare for Food Allergy Awareness Week Proclamations, as well as helping advocate in my community. I am a HOSA member, FFA member, Key Club Member, and an honor roll student. My extracurricular activities include being a varsity cheerleader, spending quality time with friends and family, and taking care of animals. I was recognized as “Rookie of the Year” in varsity cheerleading, received the citizenship award in middle school. I have cheered at the high school for 2 seasons and at the middle school for 4 seasons. I am from a small rural community in Georgia.

My name is Erica Friedman and I'm 19 years old. I was 18 months old when I found out I had an anaphylactic peanut allergy. I also had a tree nut allergy which I outgrew after doing a food challenge at age 16. After my diagnosis, I had to become very responsible very quickly. I learned the importance of checking every label, carrying my epi pen at all times and being a self advocate. My allergy has made my life unquestionably difficult but it has also impacted my identity in a unique way, which I am grateful for. My involvement with FARE has introduced me to the amazing food allergy community which has helped me so much with finding resources, learning tips and strategies, and connecting with others who share this part of me. Although my allergy is an important part of who i am, there is so much more! I am a sophomore at Colgate University, where I am a psychology major, tour guide, and in a dance group! I've been dancing since I was very young and it is something i really love! I also love cooking and baking (a great way to ensure that desserts are safe!) and spending time with my friends and family.

I'm Lizzy Anderlik, and I'm a fifteen year old sophomore at Prospect High School in Mount Prospect, Illinois. Being a FARE TAG member, I strive to make a positive impact in the allergy community and was a part of the 2018 innovation tank at FAREcon and FARE’s Courage at Congress Day. In addition, I was a speaker at FARE’s Contains Courage Summit. I spoke to teens about advocating for yourself in high school. I am also a Spokin teen ambassador, where I shares my feedback on different products, restaurants, and venues. I was diagnosed at age 5 with a severe allergy to all nuts (except almonds), sesame, and sunflower. My allergies have been a huge part of my life, especially in school. At one point, I was homeschooled due to my allergies. Through self-advocating and the help of others, I was able to get back in school and have been very successful. I believe that my allergies have made me a stronger person and I am devoted to helping others manage their allergies on an everyday basis. Besides advocating for allergies, I enjos playing ukulele, tumbling, and baking. My life long goal is to be a pediatric doctor or surgeon.

Hi! My name is Aidan, I’m 17, and I am a junior from Rockville, Maryland. I’m allergic to tree nuts, shellfish, and sesame, and I’m excited to be able to talk about my experiences. When I’m not eating, I love music, books, video games, and drawing. I’m a huge nerd too; I love to play Dungeons and Dragons, and recently started writing stories for our group to play. My favorite subjects in school are English and A Cappella, and my dream is to write music for video games.

Hi, my name is Jacqueline See-Tho. I am 14 years old and a freshman at Gunn High School in Palo Alto, California. I am Filipino, Malaysian-Chinese, and German. I have lived with food allergies to eggs, milk, and all nuts my entire life. About three years ago, I was fortunate enough to become part of a clinical trial, a multi-food OIT program that used Xolair. I did this with my older brother who also has severe food allergies. As I continue to undergo treatment, my food world has opened up and I now feel more comfortable with the food that I encounter. I love to cook, bake, and test new recipes, and I'm excited to share some tips and tricks! Some of my other passions include traveling, dance (I do ballet and contemporary), singing (I’m in my school choir), and acting. In my free time, I like to listen to music, play with my dog (he’s a Goldendoodle), read, and write. This is my first year being on FARE’s Teen Advisory Group, and I’m really excited to be working alongside so many supportive, dedicated, and hardworking individuals. I hope to provide some helpful resources as you experience life with allergies! I’m looking forward to being a part of this special community!

Hi, my name is Indrani. I’m a 16 year old sophomore from Houston, Texas. I am allergic to eggs, dairy, tree nuts, chicken and bananas. I am ecstatic to be part of this amazing effort to spread awareness and share the teenage perspective of what it's like living with food allergies. Being a teen with food allergies is a multifaceted and complex experience for so many reasons. Internal insecurities and unfathomable social pressures and all the food-related parties can really make it an ordeal that people tend to dismiss. I am excited to share my stories and learn from other people’s- knowing that someone can relate and empathize with your struggles is really empowering and validating. Of course, my food allergies do not define me. I love writing and editing for my school paper, knitting terrible things, liquid eyeliner and being wholly unproductive. I also love all subgenres of heavy metal- I’m a huge metalhead. My favorite subject is biology. I hope to pursue a career in the fields of public health, epidemiology and biostatistics, which are all very relevant to my own life considering my allergies!

Hi my name is Gina. I am a college student from Illinois. I am allergic to peanuts, tree nuts, eggs, and seeds. I am very excited to be a part of this blog! I am excited to help others with food allergies. I love to dance, hang out with my friends and I like art.