Lylah Ricks lives with severe allergies that mean every bite could be fatal

Lylah Ricks is lucky to be alive. Allergic to eggs, peanuts and dairy, her life has been saved three times with an EpiPen. Her family says swapping that for a needle-free inhaler would change their life.

Lylah Ricks has allergies to eggs, peanuts and dairy. Picture: Nigel Hallett

Lylah Ricks is lucky to be alive. The almost five-year-old is allergic to eggs, peanuts and dairy and is still undergoing tests for more.

Her life has been saved three times by a painful EpiPen injection after suffering potentially deadly anaphylaxis.

Her mother Kristy Ricks remembers the first time well. The then eight-month-old was undertaking a peanut allergy trial when things took a terrifying turn as she started to swell up.

“I called the ambulance so terrified,” she said. “I should have administered the EpiPen before even calling triple-0.

“When the paramedics arrived, I was taught how to do it and I was given a stern talking-to.

“I was lucky that it wasn’t too late to help her by the time they got there. It was a pretty traumatic experience.”

An EpiPen has been used three times to save Lylah’s life. Picture: Nigel Hallett

Lylah has had to have an EpiPen shot two more times since then, including about 18 months ago after accidentally tipping cold coffee over herself, with the milk covering her skin, entering her mouth, ears and eyes.

“The look on her face when it happens is the most heartbreaking,” Mrs Ricks said.

“I cry pretty much every time I have to do the EpiPen.

“Even if she knows what’s going on, it’s horrible to watch.”

Lylah’s allergy journey began when she just was four months old and diagnosed with eczema, which gave her a higher chance of developing food allergies.

Until the age of one, Lylah couldn’t eat banana, potatoes, chicken or acidic or juicy fruits. Thankfully she outgrew those but her allergies to eggs, peanuts and dairy remain.

Lylah has to follow a strictly controlled diet. Vegetables are among her favourite foods, even for breakfast, because she knows they are safer to eat.

Even a recent lunch with friends posed risks everyone at the table had to be ready for, including who would call the ambulance and who would administer the EpiPen if something went wrong.

“We try so hard to give her a normal life, but unfortunately, it’s not normal,” Mrs Ricks said.

“She can’t just go to a shop and buy any food, or go to a restaurant and eat anything.

Everything has to be planned, and it has to be checked and triple checked and mistakes sadly do happen.”

Lylah with her mum Kristy. Picture: Nigel Hallett

Mrs Ricks said she carried multiple EpiPens and up to 10 when the family were on holidays or further away from medical help.

She said short expiry dates and the need for them to be temperature controlled meant they spent a lot of time and money keeping multiple EpiPens on hand.

She said if a needle-free adrenaline inhaler became available, it would be life-changing.

“Anything that would be less painful and less invasive would be just the best thing for us and anyone who has an allergy,” she said.

“I think it would really change our life and I think it would also change the lives of a lot of other allergy parents and kids. It really does impact our life daily.”

Originally published as Lylah Ricks lives with severe allergies that mean every bite could be fatal