My daughter had a food allergy test on Monday. She experienced no complications during the test and left the allergist's office without issue. However, everything changed the next day at school. She came to my classroom with rapid breathing. Given her history of asthma, our first instinct was that she was having an asthma attack. We immediately started a breathing treatment and called the school nurse to assist. Almost immediately, her breathing worsened, and she began to stridor. When the treatment failed to help, we were sent to the ER, and the school called ahead to alert them of our arrival.

At the ER, Nurse Chrissy Burkhiser met us at the door and helped me get E inside. By this point, E had lost the ability to walk and was struggling to move her arms. She was starting to pass out due to lack of oxygen. Chrissy rushed her into the ER in a wheelchair, and a doctor came into the room right away. I quickly explained her allergy history and the test from the day before. They took immediate action. Throughout it all, Chrissy stayed by E's side, calmly speaking to her and working to keep both of us calm. Despite the urgency, she never faltered. She administered medications, epinephrine, nebulizer treatments, and full oxygen support with grace and confidence. The doctor remained in the room, closely monitoring every change in E's condition. Thanks to their swift and skilled care, including five adult EpiPens and continuous oxygen, my 11-year-old daughters' breathing and heart rate were stabilized. Her prescribed junior EpiPens would not have been enough in this situation. Without question, their quick thinking and professionalism saved her life. I know other nurses came in and out to offer assistance, and in no way do I want to leave them out, but I don't remember their names.

Given the severity and delayed nature of the reaction, E was admitted to the hospital for observation. The following evening, after eating dinner, I tried to lift E's spirits by painting her nails. Tragically, she went into another severe reaction, again stridor and rapid decline. We pushed the emergency button, and the nurses, along with a doctor, rushed in. She received oxygen and two more adult EpiPens to stabilize her. Saying we were terrified would be an understatement. These reactions were not typical, and we realized she was facing something far more serious. Thanks to the efforts of the ER team, the hospital staff, and her primary care physician, we were referred to specialists in critical care, allergy, and pulmonology at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis. There, E was diagnosed with vocal cord dysfunction and FPIES (Food Protein-Induced Enterocolitis Syndrome), a rare condition causing delayed allergic reactions.

Today, she carries four adult EpiPens and a strong rescue inhaler at all times. Although the diagnosis was frightening, it has changed her life and ours by giving us the tools to respond quickly and effectively. Even the hospital dietitian and her staff went above and beyond to ensure E was cared for and properly nourished. Their support was a blessing in every way. I am forever grateful to the nurses and doctors at Scotland County Hospital ER, Scotland County Hospital, and Memphis Medical. Their expertise, compassion, and quick action saved my daughter's life, not once, but twice.