San Marcos boy finds creative ways to avoid food allergies

By: NOELLE IBRAHIM - Staff Writer | Friday, September 8, 2006 11:38 PM PDT ∞

SAN MARCOS ---- Nathan Wagner has never eaten food prepared in a restaurant or by any people outside his family. He can't enjoy peanuts or hot dogs with mustard at Padres games; but he can cook, and he tends to his own garden.

Nathan, 5, is one of 12 million Americans who have to adapt their diets because they suffer from food allergies, which cause their immune systems to respond to food that the body mistakenly believes is harmful. Leading triggers like milk, eggs, tree nuts, peanuts, soy, wheat and fish can cause a cascade of allergic reactions such as hives, vomiting and swelling. In some people, food allergies can cause a potentially fatal allergic reaction, called anaphylaxis, in which they have difficulty breathing and suffer a feeling of impending doom.

When Nathan was 10 months old, San Marcos resident Sue Wagner rushed her son to the emergency room after a meal of macaroni and cheese and cereal. His face swelled up and turned pink as he broke out in hives.

After performing a number of tests, a specialist determined that Nathan was allergic to not just one or two food triggers, but a long list of foods including mustard, peanut, wheat, egg, milk, banana and "just about every legume on the planet," as Wagner put it.

"I was thinking, 'He's going to be hungry in 20 minutes, what am I going to feed him?' " she said.

Since Nathan's first reaction, the Wagner family has gotten creative in their attempt to create a safe diet and, more importantly, a safe lifestyle for their son. She said instead of focusing on what he can't have and what he's missing out on, she looks for the positive, finding substitutes for staple foods like bread and pasta.

Today the whole Wagner family will walk 1.3 miles in Balboa Park to raise money for the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network, an advocacy group dedicated to research and education. Wagner said the group has been a great source of information and updates regarding her son's condition.

"We want to give back to a resource that has been so helpful to us," she said. "Anything we can do to allow them to continue their great work."

Nathan and his mother watch cooking shows together to get ideas for foods they can prepare, substituting ingredients like coconut milk for dairy milk to make one of his favorite treats --- ice cream.

"One of his biggest joys is cooking and eating," said Wagner. "Ninety-five percent of the time, there's a substitute that works. It makes you very solution-oriented."

All of Nathan's meals are prepared at home, sometimes using the harvest of lettuce, tomatoes and onions Nathan grows in his yard. Wagner said she encourages Nathan's gardening because it puts him in control of his diet, allowing him to choose foods he wants to eat.

"We like him to feel empowered," said Wagner. "He's learned how to be safe and how to take care of himself."

Wagner packs a lunch for Nathan, along with epinephrine and antihistamines in case of a reaction, which he carries everywhere, even on short trips to the grocery store. She and her husband have taught Nathan to look out for himself by identifying the hazards, including hidden allergens in toothpaste, paints, ink and even puzzles. His 3-year-old sister, Aubrey, looks out for her older brother by washing her hands after eating Cheetos and pointing out latex balloons, which he is also allergic to.

However, Wagner said she and her husband can only control Nathan's environment to a certain point.

"When you're out in the world, you have to rely on the thoughtfulness and willingness of others to help supplement the lifestyle," she said. "Any person who has food allergies can have a normal, active life with the flexibility of people around them, but they can also be as isolated as the people around them."

For example, the Wagners have to be careful while attending Padres games, making sure people nearby don't throw peanut shells in their direction. At a recent game, a man sitting behind Nathan switched seats temporarily as he ate a hot dog dripping with mustard, which Nathan is highly allergic to.

"We got to breathe a sigh of relief and enjoy the game," said Wagner. "Those kinds of courtesies go far."

Despite his food allergies, Nathan leads a normal, healthy life. He loves animals, including his pet tortoise, and wants to be a herpetologist some day. He also enjoys playing soccer and recently embarked on a new adventure ---- kindergarten.

"It's up to the teachers, parents, classmates and teammates to determine whether they are willing to help remove the danger," said Wagner, after she finished making a batch of wheat-free Play-Doh for Nathan's kindergarten class. She urges parents to pay close attention to the letters they bring home from school notifying them of food-allergic students and encourages them to have heir children wash their hands before dropping them off at school.

While the Wagner family has surpassed their goal of $1,000 for today's walk, they hope to keep on going. To contribute, go to www.firstgiving.com/wagner.

"The more people hear about food allergies, the more validity it'll get in needing attention, and the more people will be aware of its severity and know what to do if something happens," Sue Wagner said.

Contact staff writer Noelle Ibrahim at (760) 761-4401 or nibrahim@nctimes.com.

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