Father’s Day: Bruce Croxon’s advice to dads with kids who have food allergies

Bruce Croxon

While many people will be searching for the perfect tie, pair of socks, or golf balls to give to their dads to celebrate Father’s Day, we’re hoping people will give the gift of allergy awareness instead, a gift that could save a life.

Food allergy is a growing public health concern in Canada, affecting 2.5 million Canadians. A small amount of an allergen, when ingested, can cause a potentially life-threatening reaction, and there is no known cure for food allergies.

Bruce Croxon is a strong role model for dads who have kids with food allergies. Bruce is a tech pioneer, investor, speaker and television host, he also has two children with multiple food allergies, and is actively involved in educating them on staying safe, and advocating on their behalf.

Bruce’s advice to dads with kids who have food allergies is to follow the same basic precautions he does with his kids, including:

• Knowing the signs and symptoms of a reaction and knowing what to do in case of an emergency
• Reading ingredient labels, asking questions when dining out, and learning how to avoid allergens
• Keeping an epinephrine auto-injector with you and knowing how to use it

He’s also a big supporter of AllergyAware.ca, an online resource that offers free courses on food allergy management and anaphylaxis. When the community course for parents and caregivers launched last year, Bruce noted, “Like many parents of children with food allergy, we rely on the support of family and friends, teachers, coaches, and other caregivers to help our kids avoid allergic reactions and keep them safe. This interactive course offers best practices for food allergy and anaphylaxis management. I believe it will be of enormous benefit to the wider community and will help save lives.”

Check out our recent interview with Bruce where we asked him five questions on parenting children with food allergies.

Learn more about allergy safety, and this year on Father’s Day, take a free 30-minute AllergyAware.ca course to get educated about food allergy and anaphylaxis.