Attending a Chicago Cubs baseball game is a dream come true for a seven-year-old baseball fan living near the Windy City. But when you’re a seven-year-old baseball fan with a peanut allergy, Wrigley Field isn’t just “The Friendly Confines” in which to enjoy America’s favorite pastime—it’s also a potential minefield of dangerous peanut residue.
Charlie is that seven-year old. He sits in front of me today, grinning from ear-to-ear because he knows he will soon be watching his beloved Cubbies LIVE IN ACTION! He keeps wiggling while sitting on the exam table, unable to contain his excitement. Across the room, Charlie’s mother rapidly taps her fingers together, her anticipation tempered by a twinge of anxiety. Today is Charlie’s food allergen desensitization graduation, a milestone that’s been in the works since he first stepped foot into my office over a year ago.