"Hi! My name is Hannah and I’m allergic to peanuts, tree nuts, sesame, peas, beans, lentils, lupin and fenugreek. My first allergic reaction occurred when I was very young. I ate some peanut butter and came out in a rash so my parents decided to not give me anything with peanuts in from then on. However, I later reacted to peas, and while on holiday in Portugal I reacted to sesame, resulting in my tongue and throat becoming itchy and my lips becoming swollen. My parents then pushed for me to undergo allergy testing - it was definitely harder back then to get tested for allergies! These tests revealed that I had various food allergies that would require me to carry epipens. As well as food allergies, I have asthma, pollen allergies, a dust mite allergy, various animal hair allergies and oral allergy syndrome. As I’ve got older, I’ve had to navigate managing my allergies in new situations – from travelling without my parents for the first time to living in shared accommodation for university – and it’s all possible! I’m now completing my teacher training and will advocate for the children with allergies in my school to keep them safe."
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