“I’m Literally Allergic”: Teen Can’t Eat Birthday Cake Dad Bought, He Flips Out
Around a third of the world’s population has at least one allergy, and yet they’re still not taken seriously enough by some people.
Like this dad, who, for his son’s birthday, bought a strawberry cake, which he’s severely allergic to. Since this wasn’t the first time the parent exhibited such self-centered behavior, his teen called him out on it, which made him super mad.
With allergies being so common, it’s surprising people don’t take them seriously enough
Image credits: Wavebreakmedia / Envato (not the actual photo)
Like this dad, who almost endangered his kid on his birthday with a cake he’s allergic to
Image credits: fnattisnattis / Reddit (not the actual photo)
Image credits: dvatri / Envato (not the actual photo)
Image credits: dadandbirthday
75% of parents of children with food allergies said it causes them anxiety
Image credits: Curated Lifestyle / Unsplash (not the actual photo)
In the US, roughly 40% of children have allergies, while the percentage for adults is 30%. Among kids, the most common allergens are milk, eggs, nuts, wheat, trees, grass, and weed pollens. While some children are known to outgrow their allergies, it doesn’t mean that any allergy should be taken less seriously.
If allergies aren’t seen as important, they can have severe consequences. For example, people with serious allergies may go into anaphylactic shock, which can swell up the airways, drop the blood pressure, and result in loss of consciousness.
No one wants to go through such an experience. That’s why it’s crucial to stress the importance of allergy awareness. To help people with allergies avoid an emergency that can happen anytime, anywhere, as many people as possible have to know how to be around people with allergic reactions.
Not to mention parents whose kids have allergies. For a lot of them, such a life event is an enormous stressor and emotional load to navigate every day. In fact, a 2019 Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America study found that 75% of parents of children with food allergies said it causes them anxiety, and 82% of parents admitted to thinking about it all the time.
With such statistics, it’s surprising to see that the dad in this story managed to forget or not even know his son’s food allergy. From the teen’s description, the parent seems to be quite self-centered, which might explain a little bit why he didn’t concern himself with such important details about his kid.
“If you do not take them seriously, you are putting people’s lives at risk”
Image credits: Lia Bekyan / Unsplash (not the actual photo)
Self-centered or not, this dad and everyone, for that matter, should do better when it comes to taking allergies more seriously and helping others stay safe.
In terms of parents, every caregiver responsible for their children should have a plan for how they can best manage their child’s allergy. This should involve an emergency plan and having an EpiPen on hand at all times. They may also decide what to do with the allergen in the home, whether to remove it entirely or just simply keep it out of reach and avoid cross-contamination.
Children themselves should be educated by their parents about their situation as well, so they can avoid what’s safe and not safe for them.
As for everyone else, supporting people with allergies can be as simple as knowing the allergy and what its symptoms look like. In case of an emergency, it’s also good to know what to do. There are other habits that you might adopt, too, like washing your hands after eating the allergen or avoiding sharing your meal with someone who is allergic to something. All of these actions, even though simple, can help a person avoid risking their life.
“Perhaps some people may think allergies are ‘fussiness’ or ‘attention-seeking.’ If you do not take them seriously, you are putting people’s lives at risk,” said Bethany, who lost her best friend to a severe allergic reaction.
Most readers sided with the teen
While some disagreed
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So many men think that any pathetic efforts on their part deserve a parade. What a completely worthless father that doesn't even know his own kid's allergies.
I know this is not the point of the story, but "he complained how he wasted so much time BUYING the cake". Like, excuse me? Buying a cake is no effort at all. Where I come from, a birthday cake is home-made. I do understand why someone might not be able to make one, but buying one and then complaining about the effort is really really weird.
Exactly. Its the same effort as going to the store to buy toilet paper, you walk into the store you grab the item, pay and leave . The Man acting like going to do basic store shopping required him to clear his schedule and needed to be praised for that unique action.
Load More Replies...I've gotten almost literally the same exact treatment from my mother (though I don't have any allergies.) Every single birthday of my life, it's been HER favorite type of cake (which I actually hate, and yes, I have told her that for decades at this point), HER favorite foods, etc. When I got older, we went out to eat at the restaurants SHE wanted to go to (she shot down all of my requests), or she would "gift" me tickets to a musical SHE wanted to see, so on and so forth. I know, first world problems, but it still hurts when your mother is so narcissistic and Main Character-y that she doesn't care that you loathe German chocolate cake (I like chocolate cake, just hate the coconut-pecan topping) and that you haven't enjoyed musicals since you were 10. She always served lemonade at my bday parties - HER favorite drink (I hate lemonade.) As a narcissist, she doesn't even consider what other people want, enjoy, or care about. It's all about her, her, her. It was incredibly hurtful to me in my childhood - I couldn't/didn't understand why she didn't care that I hated German chocolate cake and wanted ANY other cake type but that. Again, first world problems - I was fortunate to even get a bday party - but it still hurt. These days I don't even celebrate my bday, because it's such a scarred-over wound at this point. Someday I hope to have IRL friends that I can enjoy a happy bday with - I'd be happy to just sit in a café and talk with them, and maybe get a hug or two XD (I'm a hugger - unsurprisingly I never got any physical affection from my mom - not even a hug. Alas.) If any of you Pandas will be in the Southern California area next February - want to celebrate my bday? XD
From further north and further east, a virtual hug. May you get some cherished memories on your next birthday.
Load More Replies...So many men think that any pathetic efforts on their part deserve a parade. What a completely worthless father that doesn't even know his own kid's allergies.
I know this is not the point of the story, but "he complained how he wasted so much time BUYING the cake". Like, excuse me? Buying a cake is no effort at all. Where I come from, a birthday cake is home-made. I do understand why someone might not be able to make one, but buying one and then complaining about the effort is really really weird.
Exactly. Its the same effort as going to the store to buy toilet paper, you walk into the store you grab the item, pay and leave . The Man acting like going to do basic store shopping required him to clear his schedule and needed to be praised for that unique action.
Load More Replies...I've gotten almost literally the same exact treatment from my mother (though I don't have any allergies.) Every single birthday of my life, it's been HER favorite type of cake (which I actually hate, and yes, I have told her that for decades at this point), HER favorite foods, etc. When I got older, we went out to eat at the restaurants SHE wanted to go to (she shot down all of my requests), or she would "gift" me tickets to a musical SHE wanted to see, so on and so forth. I know, first world problems, but it still hurts when your mother is so narcissistic and Main Character-y that she doesn't care that you loathe German chocolate cake (I like chocolate cake, just hate the coconut-pecan topping) and that you haven't enjoyed musicals since you were 10. She always served lemonade at my bday parties - HER favorite drink (I hate lemonade.) As a narcissist, she doesn't even consider what other people want, enjoy, or care about. It's all about her, her, her. It was incredibly hurtful to me in my childhood - I couldn't/didn't understand why she didn't care that I hated German chocolate cake and wanted ANY other cake type but that. Again, first world problems - I was fortunate to even get a bday party - but it still hurt. These days I don't even celebrate my bday, because it's such a scarred-over wound at this point. Someday I hope to have IRL friends that I can enjoy a happy bday with - I'd be happy to just sit in a café and talk with them, and maybe get a hug or two XD (I'm a hugger - unsurprisingly I never got any physical affection from my mom - not even a hug. Alas.) If any of you Pandas will be in the Southern California area next February - want to celebrate my bday? XD
From further north and further east, a virtual hug. May you get some cherished memories on your next birthday.
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