A breakfast gathering almost turned tragic for a Georgia family when their 2-year-old daughter suffered a severe allergic reaction to eggs. The incident underscores the unpredictable nature of childhood food allergies.
Kendall Thomas, 22, recalls a usual morning with her husband and child at her parents’ home. She said, “We went over to my mama and daddy’s to eat, which we do a lot.” Her daughter ate in only a diaper since she had gotten something on her onesie. This detail became crucial shortly after.
About a minute after eating eggs, something she had done without any issues before, the toddler showed a red rash on her abdomen. Suspecting an allergic reaction, Thomas remembered a minor incident some months prior. “She had a small reaction a few months prior, but we didn’t know to what, and it was very minor,” Thomas explained. “She’d eaten eggs and things with eggs many times with no reaction.”
Eggs are among the common allergens in the U.S., affecting about 0.9 percent of children overall and 1.3 percent of those under five, according to the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice. Estimates indicate that around 2.7 million Americans live with an egg allergy. Though often mild, some reactions can be severe. Among the affected children, 14.2 percent report throat tightening, 11.5 percent experience wheezing, and 11 percent suffer from low blood pressure, all linked to life-threatening anaphylaxis.
Following pediatric advice, Thomas administered diphenhydramine (Benadryl), but her daughter immediately vomited it. As the rash spread and coughing persisted, the family headed to the hospital. During the drive, the toddler turned unresponsive, vomited again, and stopped breathing.
“She wasn’t breathing,” Thomas recounted. “I felt like time was moving so slow and fast all at once and begged God to save her.” Thomas’s mother managed the situation in the backseat, clearing the airway and encouraging breathing. After about a minute without breathing, the child gasped, cried, and screamed—a crucial sign—as they arrived at the emergency department.
Medical staff evaluated her, and within an hour, she was stable and alert with the rash resolved. “I’m not even sure what triggered the reaction,” Thomas said, adding that they now have EpiPens at hand.
Through this experience, Thomas commends her husband’s driving, helpful motorists, and the emergency personnel. She hopes to warn other parents about possible hidden allergens. “Introduce allergens carefully,” Thomas advised. “I have made it my mission for her life to not change in any big ways. She still enjoys cakes, cookies, and all her favorite foods, just without egg.”
Eating mainly at home, they inform restaurants of her allergies immediately when dining out. Initially challenging, this has now become their routine.
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