Every time Stephanie Hulme goes food shopping she reads every single food label to check that a product doesn't include an ingredient that her son is allergic to. Even if it is something the family have had before, there is no guarantee that an allergen hasn't been added to the ingredients list.
William Hulme was just three-years-old when he suffered his first anaphylactic shock. He was drinking a smoothie that he had consumed before, but a new ingredient, flax seed, had been added to the mix. Mum Stephanie said it was a terrifying experience and the first that has led to a lifetime of military level planning to keep him alive.
William is now 10-years-old, and is allergic to flax seeds, peanuts, mustard, sesame, tree nuts, chick peas, pulses, pollen, grass, trees and dust mites. The family don't eat out at restaurants and most food has to be cooked from scratch to be sure there is no cross contamination.
