“We didn’t know what would happen if she ate something she was allergic to. Would her throat close up? Would she die?”
Paul, little Ève’s father

Imagine you can’t breathe, your throat is swelling or your entire body is tingling. These are some of the terrifying symptoms of a severe allergic reaction. And that’s what baby Ève went through just a few weeks after her birth, when red patches of eczema suddenly covered her little body.

At the age of seven months, the little girl was diagnosed with fourteen allergies, twelve of which were to food. Luckily, her mother, Geneviève, was able to count on the Montreal Children’s Hospital. Thanks to donor support, the Hospital is home to the largest pediatric allergy and immunology practice in Canada, and the first program for food desensitization in Quebec. Ève was able to see a doctor quickly.

Little Ève is now three years old, and went from twelve allergies to just two! These extraordinary results were achieved following nearly a month of desensitization treatments at the Children’s over the past two years. Dr. Christine McCusker, head of the allergy and immunology division, calls Ève a miracle child. “Ève’s case is a rare occurrence. Her parents were willing to continue testing, even after she had allergic reactions. That’s not easy,” she explains.

“It took a long time, but it changed her life,” her mother explains emotionally. “We’re so grateful to the Montreal Children’s Hospital. Now, life is good!”

In Quebec, it is estimated that 6% of babies have one or more food allergies.¹ Luckily, these thousands of children can count on expert advice and support from Children’s specialists who, thanks to generous research donations, can offer cutting-edge therapies to treat asthma, seasonal and food allergies, as well as allergies to medications or insect venom.

^{1- Allergies Québec, page consulted on February 18, 2019.}