Student Battles Deathly Food Allergy

A student at the University of South Carolina shares about her extreme food allergy and what she thinks the University can do to help.

"What am I in the mood to eat today?" A question that many of us ask ourselves when deciding our next meal.

But when you are allergic to most ingredients in foods prepared surrounding you, you face an even bigger issue.

That's what Taylor Smalls struggles with. She has a severe food allergy that affects her everyday.

 

Taylor Smalls, senior at the University of South Carolina

Taylor is allergic to shellfish, all types of nuts, oats, wheat, coconut, eggs (anything with eggs in it), lobster, shrimp, crabs, oysters, salmon, sour cream, most salad dressings, and apples.

When asked, "What will happen if you come in contact with any of these foods that you're allergic to?" Taylor says,

"I will die. My throat will close up, and my intestines will swell. Two summers ago I purchased a veggie burger from Burger King thinking it was safe for me to eat. Turns out those burgers were cooked with eggs. My gums became swollen and I had trouble breathing. In addition to that, my intestines began to swell because I wanted to throw up. I was rushed to the emergency room and was treated there."

So you may ask, what does Taylor eat and how does she survive?

Taylor has had this allergy since she was a young girl and has grown to accept the way she is.

Taylor shares how she grew up with this allergy and how she found out

Taylor lived on campus at the University of South Carolina in 2011. Taylor says the choices on campus are limited, but for the most part they are doable.

"When I was living on campus I had the 5 meals per week plan. I chose this plan because my diet was so restricted and I didn't want to waste any money since the University had limited meal options for people like me."

She mentioned how she liked eating at the Coloquium because they sold fresh fruits, vegetables, and soups. 

These small choices helped her get through classes if she didn't prep her own meals.

Taylor shared how she would eat in the Healthy Carolina line in the Russell House at times when she was on campus, but she wishes they would have offered more options.

Taylor says that it is better for her financially to buy her own food at grocery stores. This allows her to know exactly what she is cooking and which ingredients to avoid.

Taylor says "I usually make green shakes for breakfast. This consists of soy milk, kale, spinach, bananas, and chia seeds."

I buy tofu and a bag of tilapia which lasts me at least 3-4 weeks. I also usually buy tomatoes, avocado, onions and a bag of veggies."

During the school year Taylor spends about $544 on groceries

Taylor suggests, "The University could offer more fresh food options that are gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian, etc. The Colloquim did this, but if these options were offered in more places that didn't close early, and had a wider variety it would definitely help me out."

Taylor adds that she doesn't want people to feel bad for her that she has this extreme food allergy. 

She just wants people to be aware that it exists, and she hopes that USC will improve their efforts with food selections across campus to students that may be similar to her.