Allergy outbreak: Deadly food allergies on the rise

LYNCHBURG, VA. (WSET) — For Anthony and Rachel Waff dinner time can get complicated.

Not because of what their three boys will and won't eat, but because of what their youngest can't eat. Two-year old Asher has severe food allergies.

Peanuts, eggs, garlic are just a few of the foods that could cause him to stop breathing.

His doctors aren't sure why since no one else in his family deals with this, but Asher's immune system sees specific foods or something in those foods as dangerous.

But Asher doesn't even have to eat the food himself to have a reaction.

They discovered he was allergic to garlic after he broke out when their dog licked him on his leg after eating dog food containing garlic.

The other two boys don't have food allergies, but they do have to be careful around their little brother.

If they eat something that he can't have, Asher has to be in his high chair. And Abe and Anderson eat off paper plates that can be thrown away so no trace of food that could hurt Asher is left behind.

Asher's pediatric allergist says right now, there's no medication or shots for those who have food allergies, but is hopeful oral desensitization is on the horizon.

There are a few places in the u-s already trying that approach, which means actually giving the patient small amounts of the food they're allergic to.

The Waffs researched and found the Southern California Food Allergy Institute which claims to have had great success with its "tolerance induction program.”

The program has waitlist more than a year long, but after six months, the Waffs got the call that Asher had been accepted.

And right now, the family is in California where Asher will soon start this unique treatment -- eating the foods he's allergic to.

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases recently released a study that shows oral desensitization appears to be a safe, effective treatment for some children with peanut allergies, but they say they still need to look into the long-term effects.

The Southern California Food Allergy Institute claims their program works saying they have nearly 3,500 graduates who can now eat without limitations.

The Waffs say this program offers the best hope for Asher to live a normal life.

Asher will have to return to California every 6 to 8 weeks for more than a year. He'll then go back every 6 months or so, most likely for the rest of his life just to be sure he's still tolerating the foods that at one time, could be deadly.

The Waff’s insurance covers a lot of the treatment, but not the travel costs to get to California every couple of months. They have a go fund me site. You can find a link to it here.