What does it take to help a child with severe food allergies feel safe, without allowing fear to define their childhood?

In this episode of the Immunity Group Australia Podcast, our host Nina speaks with Holly Dye, a food allergy mum, author and healthcare educator from Lexington, Kentucky, about raising her son Keegan, who has multiple food allergies, including a severe wheat allergy.

Holly is the author of Milo’s Food Allergy Hero Guide: A Fun Workbook for Safe, Brave, and Kind Kids and co-author, with Keegan, of Milo’s Food Allergy Adventure. Drawing on their family's lived experience, the books give children practical ways to understand food allergy safety while also making space for the fear, frustration, anxiety and social challenges that can accompany it.

Holly shares the simple “traffic light” system her family developed when Keegan was young: green for situations that feel safe, yellow when more information or a conversation is needed, and red when the environment is unsafe and another plan is required. She also explains how Keegan learned from an early age to identify “safe adults”: people who not only cared about him, but genuinely understood his allergy and knew how to keep him safe.

The conversation becomes deeply personal as Holly recounts a frightening anaphylactic reaction Keegan experienced at a swimming pool at around age 10. After becoming unwell, he was sent home alone and eventually contacted his mother himself, telling her he could not see properly and thought he needed his epinephrine. Holly discusses the emergency response that followed, the difficulty of advocating for appropriate treatment, and the emotional aftermath for both parent and child.

Nina and Holly also explore:

• Why children with food allergies may hide symptoms, fears or experiences of bullying
• How parents can talk about risk without making children afraid of the world around them
• Food allergy anxiety, trauma and food aversion after severe reactions
• Why a trusted adult needs to understand an allergy, not simply know that one exists
• Advocating for appropriate support and inclusion at school
• The challenges that arise when relatives, teachers or other adults underestimate allergy severity
• How families can reflect on an anaphylactic event without falling into blame
• Creating social experiences that are inclusive rather than centred around food
• Travel, pre-boarding and the additional vigilance required when flying with food allergies
• Helping children gradually develop the confidence and skills to advocate for themselves

Perhaps the most hopeful message comes from Keegan himself. Now a teenager, he has grown from a young child learning to navigate a world filled with potential allergens into someone who notices and looks out for other children with food allergies.

For parents at the beginning of this journey, Holly offers a message born from years of lived experience: it does get better.

Children can find their people, build confidence and participate in life, even when getting there takes considerable work.

🎙️ The Immunity Group Australia Podcast shares conversations with clinicians, researchers, educators, advocates and people with lived experience exploring food allergy, immunotherapy and the realities of living with allergic disease.

What does the future of food allergy care look like when we move beyond simply avoiding allergens?

In Episode 64 of the Immunity Group Podcast, Dr Nina Markovic-Khaze speaks with Dr Lianne Soller, Allergy Research Manager in the Division of Allergy and Immunology at the University of British Columbia and a leading researcher in food allergy treatment at BC Children’s Hospital in Vancouver, Canada.

Dr Soller has spent almost two decades working in allergy research and now leads research examining oral immunotherapy (OIT), sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT), real-world food allergy treatment and the psychosocial impact of living with food allergy.

In this wide-ranging conversation, Nina and Lianne discuss:

• What OIT can realistically achieve, and the important difference between desensitisation, remission and “cure”
• Why Canada increasingly favours earlier intervention rather than waiting for children to outgrow food allergies
• Why access to OIT remains unequal, even in countries where treatment is becoming more established
• The practical barriers facing allergists, including time, staffing, funding and healthcare infrastructure
• How telemedicine, home-based protocols and greater GP involvement could expand access to treatment
• Food allergy anxiety and why psychological wellbeing needs to become part of routine allergy care
• The development of the IMPACT tool, designed to measure food-allergy-related anxiety and coping in parents
• Skin prick testing, specific IgE, component testing, basophil activation testing and the ongoing role of oral food challenges
• Emerging research into the gut microbiome, infancy and oral immunotherapy, including the team’s DINOSAUR study
• Why international collaboration will be essential if food allergy treatment is to become more accessible worldwide.

Dr Soller is also co-founder and Board Chair of the Canadian Food Allergy Immunotherapy (FAIT) Foundation, a not-for-profit organisation working to increase access to food allergy treatment across Canada.

At the heart of this episode is a bigger question: can food allergy care evolve from a model centred predominantly on avoidance and emergency preparedness towards one that also offers treatment, psychological support and greater freedom for families?

An important conversation about science, access, anxiety and what meaningful progress in food allergy care could look like.

In this episode, our podcast host Dr Nina Markovic speaks with Dr Helen Evans-Howells, known as “Dr Helen Allergy”, a GP with a special interest in allergy and a deeply personal connection to the field.

Dr Helen shares how her son’s food allergies inspired her to retrain in allergy medicine and ultimately establish her own private allergy practice. We discuss the realities of working within food allergy care, the challenges she encountered within the NHS, and the importance of building accessible, community-focused allergy support.

The conversation explores Dr Helen’s work with organisations including Anaphylaxis UK and the Sadie Bristow Foundation, her large online allergy community, and her involvement with the international Food Allergy Support Team (FAST), where clinicians collaborate, exchange experience and discuss approaches to food allergy treatment.

We also take a deeper look at oral immunotherapy (OIT) and why successful treatment involves far more than simply increasing a dose. Dr Helen discusses the psychological aspects of food allergy, shared decision-making with children and families, patient motivation, adherence, and the importance of considering quality of life alongside clinical outcomes.

A thoughtful conversation about the evolving landscape of food allergy care and what truly patient-centred, best-practice management can look like.

This podcast is for educational and general informational purposes only and does not constitute individual medical advice. Always discuss diagnosis and treatment decisions with an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.

In this episode of the Immunity Group Podcast, our host Nina speaks with Dr Elena Ferapontova, an allergist and immunologist with more than 20 years of clinical and academic experience.

Together, they explore how allergy care differs across Australia and Russia, including common allergic conditions, birch pollen allergy and pollen-food allergy syndrome, access to specialists, food allergy diagnosis, and the developing role of oral immunotherapy.

The conversation also examines the surprising overlap between parasitic infections and allergy-like symptoms, the scientific and cultural traditions surrounding mineral waters and health resorts, and emerging research into the gut microbiome and immune health.

A fascinating international discussion about where medicine, environment, culture and the immune system intersect.

Topics include:
Parasites and allergy-like symptoms • Birch pollen allergy • Pollen-food allergy syndrome • Food allergy care • Oral immunotherapy • Mineral waters and health resorts • Gut microbiome research

This podcast is provided for general educational purposes only and does not replace personalised medical advice, diagnosis or treatment from a qualified healthcare professional.

What does the future of food allergy treatment look like, and how can international collaboration help improve access to evidence-based care?

In this episode of the Immunity Group Australia Podcast, our host Nina Markovic speaks with Dr David Mass, a UK-based GP working within an Allergy Centre of Excellence and the first GP in the UK to be awarded an Extended Role in Allergy.

Dr Mass shares his journey into allergy medicine and discusses the significant unmet need for allergy services across the UK. The conversation explores the development and implementation of oral immunotherapy, the importance of evidence-based clinical practice and the growing role that appropriately trained GPs may play in improving access to allergy care.

Nina and Dr Mass also reflect on the value of international collaboration through the Food Allergy Support Team Congress, including the upcoming FAST Europe meeting and its potential to support the development of allergy treatment across Europe.

The episode also examines how media, literature and public education influence allergy awareness, as well as the challenges faced by doctors entering this developing area of practice.

Topics discussed include:

• The development and implementation of oral immunotherapy
• The unmet need for allergy care in the UK
• Evidence-based approaches to food allergy treatment
• The role of GPs in expanding access to allergy services
• Lessons from the FAST Congress
• The importance of FAST Europe
• Media, literature and public understanding of allergy
• Future directions and innovation in allergy treatment

#Food allergy #Oral Immunotherapy (OIT) #AllergyCare #FoodAllergy #Education

In this powerful episode of the Immunity Group Australia Podcast, Nina speaks with Amanda R. DeSio Whitehouse, PhD, a licensed psychologist, food-allergy mother, speaker, podcast host, and author of the newly launched book From Fear to Freedom. A Workbook for Navigating Allergy Immunotherapy. Amanda shares a deeply personal and professional perspective on the emotional reality of living with food allergy, from anxiety, trauma and hypervigilance to the hope and complexity of allergy immunotherapy. Together, we explore why food allergy anxiety is not “irrational,” how families can process fear with compassion, why psychological support should sit alongside medical treatment, and what life can look like after treatment, maintenance and graduation. This is an essential conversation for parents, carers, clinicians and anyone seeking to understand the journey from survival mode to confidence, safety and freedom.

Amanda's book is now available on Amazon Australia and other platforms.

In this episode of the Immunity Group Podcast, host Nina Markovic speaks with Tammy Pruscino, founder of MyMedPouch, food allergy advocate, and parent of children living with allergic conditions. Tammy shares how her family’s experience with asthma and food allergies inspired her transition from commercial litigation lawyer to start-up founder, creating a practical and stylish medical pouch designed to help families safely carry essential allergy medications.

Together, they discuss the realities of raising children with food allergies, turning lived experience into innovation, navigating the challenges of entrepreneurship, and the importance of advocacy and empowerment within the food allergy community. Tammy also shares valuable insights for parents hoping to bring their own ideas to life.

✨ Special offer for listeners: Use code IMMUNITY20 for 20% OFF the first 10 orders at MyMedPouch.

#FoodAllergy #FoodAllergyAwareness #AllergySupport #MyMedPouch #ImmunityGroupAustralia #Entrepreneurship #WomenInBusiness

This podcast interview features Dr Douglas Jones, co-founder of the Food Allergy Support Team (FAST), reflecting on the organisation’s 10-year journey and the upcoming 9th Annual Congress. Founded in response to the need for greater education, training, and support in food allergy treatment, FAST has evolved from a clinical data registry into a globally recognised collaborative congress that brings together leading experts without industry sponsorship.

Held on 12–13 June 2026 in Dallas, Texas, the Congress will feature presentations and panel discussions on specialized topics including oral immunotherapy (OIT) and sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT). Dr Jones discusses how FAST creates a unique environment where clinicians of all experience levels can learn from one another alongside dietitians and food allergy psychologists, encouraging open discussion and shared perspectives.

The conversation also explores current advances in food allergy care, including remission pathways, best-practice approaches, gut health modulation, and microbiome interventions. For more information, visit https://fastoit.org

Disclaimer: This podcast is for non-medical educational purposes only.

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