Alcohol allergy is relatively rare, although it’s definitely out there – and the people who suffer it usually have to live for a while until they find out they’re affected. On the other hand, more severe cases tend to become obvious almost immediately, such as the one of Ryan Costello, a one-year-old whose allergies to certain foods – including alcohol – is so bad, that the boy breaks out in a rash if he even comes in contact with a person who’s recently eaten foods on the list.
New have been calling him “the boy allergic to Christmas”, because his condition has forced his mother to keep the boy at home during the festive period. Considering the number of people walking around after having recently consumed dairy, including chocolate, eggs and alcohol, the decision might not be too harsh, and it actually makes sense.
According to the boy’s mother, his allergy is quite severe. He would break out in a rash if he even lightly brushes against a person who’s recently eaten their small piece of chocolate from the advent calendar, or has drunk eggnog within the last 24 hours. In addition to the rash, the boy vomits and gets diarrhea.
The boy’s parents have previously tried bringing him to a festive event to celebrate, but that turned out to be a bad idea as he developed a major rash immediately after touching the hand of another boy. Now, in addition to keeping their son at home, the parents have kindly requested their friends and family to not visit them if they have eaten any of the “forbidden” foods in the last 24 hours.
For Christmas, the family is preparing a special dinner mainly focused on vegetables, which excludes any foods that would trigger their son’s allergies. And while they have been coping with the situation to some extent, it seems to be rather stressful for them – according to Mrs. Costello, the boy’s mother, the situation has been very difficult for them, and they have come to dread Christmas. However, her problem isn’t that she’s forced to take special precautions in her care for her son, but rather seeing him have to miss out on so many tasty snacks that other kids love around that time.
Alcohol allergy affects a relatively small portion of the population, but it’s a particularly difficult condition because it usually goes undiscovered until early adulthood, when unaccompanied by allergies to other substances. And when a person who had just turned legal age is presented with the fact that they have to stay away from alcohol for the rest of their lives, this can be a difficult situation to accept.