Food Allergies: Stoneham Girl Eats Halloween Candy

Maddie, a nine-year-old resident of Stoneham, Massachusetts, will keep her entire Halloween candy haul this year for the first time in her life. The girl, who has suffered from severe food allergies since infancy, has cleared dairy and eggs from her restriction list after undergoing a specialized treatment program.

Her family first identified the condition when Maddie was an infant and experienced facial swelling and breathing difficulties after consuming peanut butter. Subsequent testing revealed allergies to pineapple, almonds, eggs, and milk. These restrictions excluded most common confections, forcing the family to inspect every item in her trick-or-treat bag annually.

Over the past year, Maddie worked with Amy Rose, a board-certified nutrition and health coach and CEO of Allergy Release Technique, a holistic program designed to treat food allergies. Rose stated that the approach focuses on resetting the immune system, describing it as emptying an "overflowing bucket." The regimen involved weekly half-hour appointments that prioritized gut health through probiotics and utilized emotional freedom technique tools to reduce the fear of reactions.

The reintroduction of foods occurred in slow stages. Maddie began by placing small pieces of food on her lips and progressing to swallowing them over subsequent weeks. It took between six and eight months to build tolerance for dairy and eggs, which she can now consume without restriction. Rose noted that Maddie has already eaten Hershey Kisses, KitKats, and Twix.

Tree nuts remain a restriction, though Rose said Maddie is currently working on sesame and may tolerate peanut butter cups by the following year. The program, which serves patients from toddler age through adulthood, is available through Rose's organization.

Maddie's mother, Gretchen Webber, described the shift as a relief from the constant anxiety that accompanied every Halloween. "We've enjoyed all our Halloweens, but to not have that anxiety, and to not have her be held back in the way she's had to be before, it's just really wonderful," Webber said.

Maddie expressed her own relief at no longer having to decline treats. "If someone offers it to me again, I don't have to be like, 'So I can't eat that, because I have food allergies,'" she said. She added that her plan for the night is simple: "It's all mine!"