* Written in 2012 when my son was two*
We recently went on our first family holiday abroad to Spain. I ordered food allergy translation cards before we left and thank goodness because they were a lifesaver!
I had contacted the hotel about our allergies before we left and we spoke with the hotel, restaurant staff, and head chef as soon as we arrived. Everything seemed fine food-wise as they were making food from scratch for my son.
One evening he had an allergic reaction to a pasta dish, they gave us egg pasta instead of wheat by mistake. He developed a red rash around his mouth which quickly led to his lips swelling, bright red rash with hives all over his body, and difficulty breathing. We had to phone an ambulance and through the allergy cards, we were able to tell the hotel staff and in turn the ambulance that he was having an anaphylactic reaction. We were able to communicate with hospital staff too. He was given adrenaline and steroids and put on a drip overnight.
It was all very scary! Everything turned out fine and we got the best care but I don’t know what we would have done without the cards and insurance!
I ordered our cards from Allergy UK for £15
*Please note this service is temporarily suspended due to travel restrictions*
Here are some more resources I have come across:
Free resources:
https://allergytranslation.com/english-alert-card/
https://allergyaction.org/translations/
http://www.food-info.net/allergy.htm
https://adults.jext.co.uk/resources/travelling-abroad/
Paid for resources:
http://www.yellowcross.co.uk/ebuttonz/medicaltranslationcards/index.shtml
http://www.selectwisely.com/index.htm
If you are looking for holiday options check out these allergy-friendly cities for families
