Meet the Mother Shifting the Narrative for Food Allergy Parents
My mission to revoluntionize the narrative surrounding pediatric food allergies began with one of the most important people in my life, my daughter. With over 17 years of experience in the restaurant industry, and as a mother and seasoned publicist with a rich background in food and hospitality branding and marketing, I saw a gap in the way we were taking care of this demographic of customers.
So in the last year, I began reaching out to top food allergy brands, chefs, and pediatric medical experts. Through education, advocacy, and community-building for parents facing the challenges of raising children with extensive food allergies and eczema, I want to bridge the two worlds that make me, me. I am working hard to help them shift the narrative they have of each other - one of fear, negligence, and nuisance to one of educated communication, inclusivity, and empathy.
You see, parenthood in its entirety, is a rollercoaster of emotions, learnings, and challenges. Motherhood, however, takes this experience to a whole new level—physically feeling and spiritually understanding your child's pain, frustration, and excitement within the blink of an eye. My own journey began when I became a mother for the first time, witnessing my three-month-old daughter covered in a persistent, and sometimes bloody, rash for the first two years of her life. The struggle to find a solution, to ease her discomfort, and to provide nourishment was emotionally draining, to say the least.
Despite numerous attempts to soothe her discomfort, including colloidal oatmeal baths, the endless trying of new creams and lotions along with dietary adjustments for both of us, the rash persisted, leaving both of us in tears and uncertainty. It was only through a prescription amino-acid based formula that we found a lifeline, saving her life until her second birthday. Subsequent visits to pediatricians and allergists eventually and finally revealed severe eczema and a long list of protein-based food allergies as the culprit, causing a wave of guilt for unknowingly contributing to her distress through my diet while breastfeeding.
Determined to provide the best for my daughter, I delved deeper into creating allergy-friendly recipes in addition to mental wellness and stress relieving breathwork. Drawing on my extensive experience in the restaurant industry, my personal journey with gluten-free living, and over 12 years of being religiously dedicated to meditation and teaching it, I navigated this new terrain methodically. I eliminated trigger foods one by one, taught my daughter kid-friendly breathwork techniques, and even helped her come up with her own mantra in times of stress and further uncertainty. The process was emotionally taxing, marked by tears and frustration even with these tools in our back pockets, but the turning point came when a sense of loneliness set in after establishing a routine.
On my daughter's third birthday, I realized the need for a supportive community of parents facing similar challenges. My search led me to organizations like FARE, offering valuable information, but I craved more. Motherhood became a catalyst for my venture into creating a conversation that would not only provide a safe space for parents, but also create a shift in the narrative around food allergies.
Thus, Mother Eats Proper was born—an agency that transcends conventional public relations and marketing, specializing in safe food allergies experiences. My agency aims to create a supportive community for food allergy parents, chefs committed to wellness, and allergy-safe food brands. Education and mental wellness stands at the forefront of my mission. I firmly believe in the power of knowledge to empower parents in creating a safe and nourishing environment for their children through compassionate, communication, and hospitality establishments creating more inclusive and stress-free experiences. My hope is that Mother Eats Proper is a commitment to making the world a safer and more inclusive place for families with food allergies.
Caili Elwell is Hope Magazine’s Health & Wellness editor. She also owns her own marketing, branding, and PR agency that works with food brands, chefs, hospitality experiences creating more inclusive spaces, brands and experiences for families with food allergies. She is a speaker, educator, and advocate on what it is like to be a parent to children with food allergies. Follow her on Instagram @mothereatsproper.