My Journey to Food Freedom

It was an ordinary Friday night, and my family and I were I was going to the local Italian  restaurant, Bruno’s, for dinner. The meal was superb, and then it was time for dessert. I asked the  waiter if the ice cream had egg in it, and he said no. I was so excited! As soon as it came, I started  to gobble it up. Halfway through, the waiter came running to our table with the most nervous look  on his face. He said that the ice cream did have egg in it. I dropped my spoon and spit out the bite  in my mouth. I was petrified. I thought I was going to die.  

At one year old, I was diagnosed with 26 different food allergies, many of them  anaphylactic, meaning they could be life-threatening. For ten years, food controlled my life. Every  meal felt like a risk. I always felt like an outsider at parties because I couldn’t eat what my friends  were eating. That was the hardest part, being a little girl constantly told, “No, you can’t have that.”  

Growing up in a South Asian community almost made it worse. Food is such a big part of  our culture. Every gathering, festival, and celebration revolves around dishes filled with nuts,  dairy, lentils, and spices. But allergies are misunderstood in our community. Many adults would  say things like, “she’ll grow out of it,” or “just a little bit won’t hurt,” not realizing how dangerous  even a tiny amount could be for me. Sometimes people thought my parents were being  overprotective or dramatic. That misunderstanding made me feel even more alone, like I had to  protect myself not just from food, but also from people who didn’t believe how serious it was. But,  five years ago everything changed. 

Five years ago, my mom discovered the Tolerance Induction Program at the Food Allergy  Institute (FAI), and that’s when I realized I wouldn’t have to live in fear anymore. We were on the  waitlist for about 18 months until we got the acceptance email. My first appointment was three  hours long, and they told us everything to expect throughout this journey. The program would slowly introduce foods I am allergic to, to help build my immune system, giving me the ability to manage the allergens without a reaction. My parents and I had no idea what we were about to get  ourselves into.  

I started small, eating gummies with less than a milligram of my allergens. Every time a  new gummy was introduced, another was switched for an actual nut. Slowly, the amounts  increased and I was eating over twenty allergens at home daily. At one point, it became too hard  with school and dance, so I fell behind. I constantly said that I wanted to quit. I was having stomach  aches and struggling to keep up with the program. I wasn’t consistent, and it pushed my remission  date back.

One day I was eating a cashew, my worst allergen. After I took a shower, I started to feel  like I couldn’t breathe. At first, I thought I was having a panic attack, but then I started to gag and  feel dizzy. My breathing worsened. I was scared I was going to die. I took my allergy medication  while my mom did her best to calm me down, and my dad gave me a bag to breathe into. I started  to feel better. Then I threw up.  

This broke me. I lost hope in ever finishing the program, but my mom never let me lose  hope completely. She always made sure I knew that I could do this, that we could do this. It helped  me to know that she was always there for me. So, I picked myself up and got back on track.  

Towards the five-year mark in the program, I learned about Addie’s Bill, or Senate Bill 68.  Addie wanted to have all restaurants in California be required to label the top nine allergens on  their menus. I thought that was a brilliant idea, and it could help so many people who needed to  feel safe just like me. It reminded me of the time when my family and I went to Bruno’s. I wished  that this bill was in place then. I know Addie’s Bill could stop this from happening to someone  else. 

On October 19, 2025, one day before Diwali, I finished the allergy program. When I was  little, Diwali was always hard for me. While other kids enjoyed plates full of homemade sweets  and snacks, my parents carried a separate container of “safe treats” just for me. They would quietly  swap out anything unsafe before I could touch it, thinking I didn’t notice. But I did. I knew they  were trying to protect me, but it still made me feel like an outsider. 

This Diwali was different. For the first time in my life, I reached into a tray of sweets and  picked something without fear and took a bite. The feeling washed over me like a wave, something  I had never felt around food before. 

It felt like freedom. 

About the Author

Suraiya S. Mathur, a sixth grader at Olinda Elementary in Brea, CA, is a 12-year-old  competitive dancer who trains in jazz, ballet, and kathak. Beyond dance, she is involved in Girl  Scouts, plays volleyball, and loves seeing the world. Her blog post reflects her personal journey  with food allergies and her commitment to creating positive change in her community and  throughout California. Suraiya shared her work with Addy’s Bill with The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, and was selected as a Regional Finalist at the National Civics Bee at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library in Yorba Linda, CA.