It started as an ordinary teatime. Thomas was with his Dad, eating cashew nut butter spread on bread; I was in the kitchen clearing up. Suddenly, Thomas' father shouted for me to come quickly.

We met in the doorway. Thomas was crying and there was a small white swelling on his lips. I'd read about nut allergy and my immediate reaction was to call an ambulance, my voice shaky as I tried not to panic.

We could only wait then as Thomas' face pumped up to grotesque proportions. The short wait for the ambulance seemed an eternity. I will never forget his tiny face swollen like a balloon as he clung to me, distressed and vomiting.

At hospital, he was injected with adrenaline, anti-histamines and hydrocortisone, but it was several hours before the swelling subsided. We were sent home the next day with an emergency kit of an adrenaline injection in a "pen" and an adrenaline inhaler that we now have to carry everywhere.

Anaphylactic shock >>