💚 From Overwhelm to Empowerment: The Story Behind Allergy Aid

By Chloe, Founder of Allergy Aid

 

The Beginning of Our Allergy Journey

When my daughter Mabel was first diagnosed with multiple allergies, I felt terrified, unprepared and completely alone. Fast forward to today, that fear has transformed into the drive to create Allergy Aid, an app designed to help individuals and parents like me feel safe, supported and in control. Here’s our story.

Hi I’m Chloe, a Business Administrator for a tech company and, most importantly proud mum to Mabel (11), who has allergies to peanuts, tree nuts, eggs and milk and to Rex (7), the best allergy ally anyone could ask for.

Our allergy journey began back in 2014 when Mabel was just a baby. From birth, she suffered from wheezing, reflux and severe eczema. As a first-time mum, I was exhausted and constantly back and forth to the doctor. Her eczema would flare up, become infected and we’d find ourselves in an endless cycle of antibiotics and steroid creams. At that point, no one had mentioned allergies — even after numerous visits.

People would often come up to me and ask what was wrong with her, if she was infectious, or simply, “What happened to her?” because her skin was so noticeable.

 

After months of persistence, Mabel was finally referred to an allergy specialist. Before the appointment even came, I was weaning her and gave her some scrambled egg. She had (what I now know) was an allergic reaction that took us to A&E. Thankfully, Mabel was okay after monitoring, but the doctor simply told me to “just avoid egg” and wait for our referral appointment. Looking back, there was no advice about adrenaline pens or the signs of anaphylaxis which were things that are so important to know.

When we were finally seen by a doctor at St Thomas’ Hospital, she was diagnosed and I was handed her first EpiPens. I remember feeling terrified. I gave up my job because I couldn’t bear the thought of leaving her at nursery when I still had so much to learn about keeping her safe. That moment marked the beginning of our allergy journey and the years that followed shaped both of us in more ways than I could have imagined.

 

 

Finding Strength Through Fear

Like many allergy parents can maybe relate, I’ve been labelled a “helicopter mum.” Every food label was checked (then checked again) and spontaneous plans involving eating out filled me with quiet dread. I would always have safe food with us, just in case and I lost count of how many times I explained Mabel’s allergies and answered the same questions.

I’ve always believed that allergies shouldn’t stop anyone from living life but it does take extra preparation. It also doesn’t mean I wasn’t terrified on the inside sometimes. 

As Mabel grew older, life brought new challenges, including learning to manage her allergies across two households. It became clear that her EpiPens weren’t always being carried and that her allergies weren’t treated with the level of seriousness they required.

That was a frightening realisation, because not having adrenaline immediately available in an emergency could be fatal. It was a wake up call that I couldn’t be everywhere, but I could create something to help keep her safe, supported and informed even when I wasn’t by her side.  

Around the same time whilst we was on holiday, Mabel had a severe allergic reaction on her birthday. Despite all my preparation, I froze. It was the scariest moment of my life and it left me asking: What more could I do to make sure we were never caught off guard again?

That was the moment that sparked the idea for Allergy Aid — a tool designed to empower people with allergies (and their caregivers) to manage their condition confidently, wherever they are and whoever they’re with.

What Is Allergy Aid?

Allergy Aid is a mobile app designed to make living with allergies safer and less overwhelming. It brings everything you need to manage allergies into one easy to use place — from storing medical details and tracking symptoms to scanning food labels and sharing emergency plans.

Whether you’re a parent, caregiver, or managing your own allergies, the app helps you feel more confident and in control. You can:

• Store allergy and medical information securely for yourself or your child
• Scan food labels using AI to check for allergens instantly
• Access your Allergy Card to quickly share allergy details with restaurants, schools, or carers
• Log reactions and track triggers to discuss with healthcare professionals
• Set reminders for AAI expiration dates
• Use the Emergency Reaction Button to alert contacts, share your live location, and follow step-by-step guidance in a crisis
• Chat with Ally AI, your in-app assistant for allergy information anytime

Allergy Aid is built to be your everyday assistant, helping you manage allergies with clarity, confidence and peace of mind.

Built for Real Life

I created Allergy Aid to be the app I desperately needed when Mabel was first diagnosed. Back then, everything related to her allergies was scattered. Appointment letters lost, test results in another, reaction notes saved randomly on my phone. It was overwhelming.

Now with the app everything is in one place, it’s all easily accessible. It’s made life so much less stressful and preparing for appointments is now straightforward.

I also wanted it to be a safe space that supports families and individuals through every stage of their allergy journey. 

In an ideal world, no one would ever need to use the Emergency Reaction Button but knowing it’s there brings real peace of mind. Within seconds, you can alert emergency contacts, share your live location, get step-by-step instructions on administering the adrenaline pen and then call for help. It’s the kind of feature you hope you’ll never need, but it could make all the difference in a crisis.

Above all Allergy Aid is about empowerment. I want every user to feel confident, and in control  to know that managing allergies doesn’t have to be overwhelming.

Raising Awareness, Together

Allergy Aid was also built to raise allergy awareness. This is something Mabel and I still do whenever we can, whether with the school, friends or family and our wider community. Hopefully in time, Allergy Aid can help reach an even bigger audience.

I’ve learned so much from the allergy community in the last 10 years from foundations and doctors. Lessons that would have helped me so much when I first found out about Mabel’s allergies. It’s incredible to see awareness growing year after year and I’m proud that Allergy Aid is now a small part of that change.

Finding Balance & Connection

Between being a mum, working and running Allergy Aid, life’s pretty full but I wouldn’t change it. When I get a bit of time to myself, I love to go for a run. It’s my space to clear my head and reset. Earlier this year I ran my first half marathon and managed to raise over £1,000 for Natasha’s Foundation.

That same sense of connection is what keeps me going with Allergy Aid. We now have over 2,000 users, and hearing from people about how it’s improving their lives, helping them feel more organised and more understood means so much. Living with allergies can feel isolating at times, but none of us are truly alone. If you ever want to share your story or just reach out, my inbox is always open.

📧 Email me: chloe@allergyaid.app
📱 Follow along: @allergyaiduk

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Allergy Aid was created to bring calm to the chaos of allergy management — helping you feel informed, confident, and connected every day.