Our son Hayes was nine months old when he went into anaphylaxis. We were celebrating my dad's birthday and gave him a bite of homemade banana pudding. Quickly, his lips began to swell. We had no idea what was happening or what to do.

The only thing we could think of was to give him Benadryl. We didn't have any with us, so we quickly loaded him into the car and rushed to a nearby CVS. There, in the allergy medicine aisle, we knelt and ripped open a box of liquid Benadryl. We fumbled to give him an amount that seemed safe. Unfortunately, there's no recommendation for a nine-month-old on a Benadryl box.

When his symptoms didn't subside, we weren't sure what to do next. 

We panicked.

There was an urgent care not too far away, so we drove there immediately. The second we stepped through the sliding doors and reached the check-in counter, Hayes began projectile vomiting.

His breathing became labored, and you could see the panic on his little face. We've never witnessed something more terrifying.

Much of what unfolded next is a blur. Doctors and nurses were quickly in and out of the room, working to administer epinephrine, monitor his vitals, and stop his reaction. His little veins were so small they struggled to get an IV in.

Thankfully, they got his reaction under control and transferred him via ambulance to our local children's hospital.

From that moment on, we were swept up in a perfect storm of allergies. Our son was diagnosed with more than 12 anaphylactic foods, severe eczema, EOE, and asthma in a short timeframe.

He's had several reactions since then. I won't say any of them have been less scary, but with each one, we've felt more prepared.

Whenever we reflect on that first reaction, we realize how many mistakes we made that could have cost Hayes his life that day.

Thank God that was not our story.

Sadly, no doctor ever alerted us that Hayes might have food allergies when he presented with eczema at three months old. No doctor informed us to watch for signs of a reaction when introducing new foods. No doctor detailed what the signs or symptoms of an allergic reaction might be, and no doctor ever told us what to do if a reaction occurred.

We were blindsided by all of it. Totally unprepared. Totally unaware. 

Chances are, if you're an allergy family, you've had a similar experience to ours. 

The fear and uncertainty during a reaction can be paralyzing. And as any seasoned allergy family knows, delay in treatment can be devastating.

Having gone through this several times, we knew we needed a way for ourselves and caregivers to calmly and quickly respond to an allergic reaction with clarity and confidence.

We wanted to know what steps to take without delay.

That's why we created the Slap Response Method. 

The Slap Response Method is simple, memorable, and lifesaving for food allergy kids.

It brings an allergy action plan to life using the acronym SLAP.

Stick with epinephrine.
Lay flat, feet up.
Always call 911.
Prepare to stick again in 5-15 minutes if symptoms don't resolve.

We've used this method to teach Hayes what to do if he has a reaction, and we've shared it with his teachers and caregivers.

Along with the Slap Response Method, we wanted something tangible that food allergy families could use to educate caregivers and friends to recognize and respond to an allergic reaction.

That's when Slap 2 Save entered the chat. Slap 2 Save is a fun, interactive card game that introduces common food allergens and reaction symptoms.

It's like the classic card game Slap Jack but food-allergy-themed.

It's a great way to start a conversation about food allergies with family, friends, and caregivers.

We love that it empowers allergy kids to take ownership of their food allergies and communicate to others how to help keep them safe. 

We hope that Slap 2 Save will inform more people about the seriousness of food allergies, how to keep food allergy kids safe, and how to respond with clarity and confidence if they ever witness an allergic reaction. 

His breathing became labored, and you could see the panic on his little face. We've never witnessed something more terrifying.

Much of what unfolded next is a blur. Doctors and nurses were quickly in and out of the room, working to administer epinephrine, monitor his vitals, and stop his reaction. His little veins were so small they struggled to get an IV in.

Thankfully, they got his reaction under control and transferred him via ambulance to our local children's hospital.

From that moment on, we were swept up in a perfect storm of allergies. Our son was diagnosed with more than 30 anaphylactic foods, severe eczema, EOE, and asthma in a short timeframe.

He's had several reactions since then. I won't say any of them have been less scary, but with each one, we've felt more prepared.

Whenever we reflect on that first reaction, we realize how many mistakes we made that could have cost Hayes his life that day.

Thank God that was not our story.

Sadly, a doctor never alerted us that Hayes might have food allergies when he presented with eczema at three months old. A doctor never informed us to watch for signs of a reaction when introducing new foods. And a doctor never detailed what the signs or symptoms of an allergic reaction might be, or told us what to do if a reaction occurred.

We were blindsided by all of it. Totally unprepared. Totally unaware. 

Chances are, if you're an allergy family, you've had a similar experience to ours. 

The fear and uncertainty during a reaction can be paralyzing. And as any seasoned allergy family knows, delay in treatment can be devastating.

Having gone through this several times, we knew we needed a way for ourselves and caregivers to calmly and quickly respond to an allergic reaction with clarity and confidence.

We wanted everyone around Hayes to know what steps to take without delay.

That's why we created the SLAP Response Method™. 

The SLAP Response Method™ is simple, memorable, and can be lifesaving for food allergy kids.

It brings an allergy action plan to life using the acronym SLAP.

Stick with epinephrine.
Lay flat, feet up.
Always call 911.
Prepare to stick again in 5-15 minutes if symptoms don't resolve.

We've used this method to teach Hayes what to do if he has a reaction, and we've shared it with his teachers and caregivers.

Along with the SLAP Response Method™, we wanted something tangible that food allergy families could use to educate caregivers and friends to recognize and respond to an allergic reaction.

That's how SLAP 2 SAVE™ was born. SLAP 2 SAVE™ is a fun, interactive card game that introduces common food allergens and reaction symptoms to players.

It's like the classic card game Slap Jack but food-allergy-themed.

It's a great way to start a conversation about food allergies with friends, family, and caregivers.

We love that it empowers allergy kids to take ownership of their food allergies and communicate to others how to help keep them safe. 

We hope that SLAP 2 SAVE™ will inform more people about the seriousness of food allergies, how to keep food allergy kids safe, and how to respond with clarity and confidence if they ever witness an allergic reaction.