John: My Life is Worth More than an Awkward Moment

It is a stunning honor to witness this young man’s food allergy light bulb flip on. To be honest, it was more like watching an entire city light up with life, passion and color! On Facebook yesterday, I stumbled upon John Espinosa’s post about his food allergy wake up call. Not only was it a game changing moment, this breath-taking event inspired John to begin truly living with his food allergies, to feel empowered and to basically grab the bull by the horns! With John’s blessing, below are the powerful words that flowed after his revelation…
John Espinosa’s Friday Food Allergy Wake-Up Call….

Friday February 26th 4pm was a wake-up call. A white chocolate chip macadamia nut (… really cashew) cookie landed me square in the hospital. That Friday, I learned to be adamant when it comes to food allergies. Show me an ingredient list. Call out friends that snicker or roll their eyes when I ask the waiter to clarify whether kitchen equipment is scrubbed well between meals. Shut down people who bother me about how my EpiPens® make my pants look clunky.
I AM DONE feeling like an “inconvenience.”
Do you know what inconvenience is?
Inconvenience is getting in an Über from work to “wait it out” at Walgreens because you’re worried about all the drama of an ambulance.
Inconvenience is needing to build up the courage to stab yourself with epinephrine for the first time.
Inconvenience is bawling in the middle of Walgreens in the arms of a pharmacist waiting for the paramedics, thinking you’re going to die.
Inconvenience is listening to your mom break down half way across the country because of how helpless she feels about not being there to see you.
If you’re going to joke, if you’re going to make me feel uncomfortable for being an “inconvenience”… then you and I have vastly different definitions of inconvenience. I’m done pandering to anyone about this. My life should be worth more to you than an awkward moment or two.
The above story was a status I wrote on Facebook the morning after my fit of anaphylaxis. I was so tired of the side eye I was receiving from friends. Tired of the judgment they placed on me because of my life threatening illness. So exhausted from the constant stream on individuals calling me out for “inconveniencing” their lives.
I noticed, in the blur of drama that unfurled at the Walgreens in Bellevue, all the looks of compassion and worry I was receiving from strangers. Strangers who would most likely have given me the same food allergy grief my friends did, had they not seen how bad it gets”.

I simply stopped in my dead in my tracks when I read John’s post. He spelled it out perfectly. His life mattered. I felt his frustration of past choices and behavior to accommodate those around him, I imagined his mother’s pain as the afternoon’s events unfolded, and most of all, I felt John’s passion and need to become empowered explode into action before my eyes.
Not only am I impressed with his passion, but I discovered he is a hard-core foodie too! You may know that I have a degree in Hotel and Restaurant management and I even studied in Europe, so I love my food. I almost cried when John shared that he was formerly a staged at the famed Aviary Cocktail and small bites Bar in Chicago. Which is owned by the award-winning,restaurateur Grant Achatz, who owns Alinea, a  Michelin Guide three-star establishment (note: there are only 12 total three star restaurants in the entire US)!
“This dichotomy of compassion is what inspired me to start the Facebook page Food Allergy Empowerment. I’ve heard from so many fellow food allergy sufferers about the times they take a Benadryl and “wait it out” like I tried to. They don’t want to make a big deal about something that is a ginormous problem. I want to create a space that gave allergy sufferers the courage to act in their best interests despite the judgment of those around them. I want to create a space that gave people who didn’t suffer from food allergies an uncensored glimpse into the struggles they’ve written off for so long. Food Allergy Empowerment is a place for food allergy sufferers and their allies to share stories about the problems they’ve had to overcome with anaphylaxis. The community is just getting started. I hope you’ll join in; empowering those who are peer pressured towards death to fight for their lives,” explained John.

Join me in cheering on John’s new adventure into finding his food allergy voice?

Check out John’s new Facebook Group: Food Allergy Power and his new website: Food Allergy Empowerment
Disclaimer: I am simply a mother who hopes that her children will be inspired by John’s story and passion for empowerment. I was not paid to write about this situation–it is an honor to witness a young person discover their value and ignite their passion for life!
John shared a little bit about himself, “Hello! My name is John Espinosa. I’ve been a severe food allergy sufferer since birth. Cashews, pistachios, and lychee are the foods out to get me. Oddly enough I never discovered I had food allergies until I was 13. My grandpa had me try a cashew. Needless to say I’ve never tried anything new since. 😉
I’m currently a Seattle resident working at Microsoft as a Program Manager and a recent graduate of The University of Illinois. I love to bake, code, work out, and eat junk food with friends. Please reach out on Food Allergy Empowerment. I love to share tips and stories with people that deal with the same problems I do. I hope to become an advocate for the food allergy community so others won’t have to go through the hardships I have”.