Peanuts could turn family’s summer into a nightmare

A single peanut could turn Chris Medina and Silje Skylstad Gotaas’s summer holiday into a nightmare, reports Dagbladet.

Their nine-year-old daughter Mila is hyperallergic and must carefully check what she can eat at bakeries like Grains in Oslo. She knows to ask staff to use gloves or a separate tong when handling her food, and to avoid anything that has touched allergens.

Summer is peak season for allergic shock, with risks from wasp stings, unfamiliar food, cross-contamination at buffets, and shared utensils. Around 1.5 million Norwegians live with allergies, a number that is rising. Up to 25,000 carry adrenaline pens, but only about half regularly take them along.

For Mila’s parents, the statistics are personal. When Mila was three months old, a few drops of formula triggered anaphylaxis. Her skin turned blue, her head swelled, and she struggled to breathe. An emergency responder arrived within moments, administered adrenaline, and stabilised her before an ambulance took her to hospital.

Now, the family lives with constant vigilance. They test new foods cautiously, and fear that others may hesitate to use Mila’s adrenaline pen in an emergency.