Tia Mowry Shares How Her Son's Severe Allergy Changed Her Family’s Life

If your child is one of five kids in the US who has peanut allergy, you know what it’s like to make every decision—from what your family will eat for dinner to avoiding social interactions due to risk of exposure—with the fear of a severe allergic reaction in mind.

Tia Mowry recently revealed her first-born son, Cree Taylor Hardrict, has peanut allergy, and how this diagnosis forever-changed her family’s life.

“My son Cree is one of 1.5 million children in the US living with peanut allergy,” she says on Instagram. Mowry wants to raise awareness on the life-threatening risks her son, and millions of other kids nationwide, face on a day-to-day basis.

“Exposure of even trace amounts of peanut can trigger a potentially severe, life-threatening reaction, and that’s stressful for children and their parents,” Mowry admits. “Avoidance isn’t always possible. I never make a decision about where Cree goes or what he eats without considering the risk of exposure.”

To enlighten others on what it’s like to raise a child with peanut allergy, she’s teamed up with DBV Technologies for the Talking Peanut Allergy campaign. Through the campaign, the 1990s sitcom star reflects on when her son was first diagnosed.

After putting Cree to bed, Mowry and her husband found his body covered in hives. “My motherly instinct kicked in and said, ‘This is not right. Something’s wrong,’” she says.

The news completely turned her world upside down.

“I knew right then and there that our lives were going to be changed. I knew right then and there that our dynamic was going to be changed,” she says. “The family dynamic and what we do on a regular, day-to-day basis, it’s going to be different.”

The actress hopes to raise awareness so other parents struggling to adjust to this life change will use the campaign’s helpful tips, resources and stories.

Six percent of kids under three years old have a food allergy. While the news will change many things, thanks to constantly updated resources—like the Talking Peanut Allergies’ website—parents can learn the best ways to manage allergies in their little one.

Please note: The Bump and the materials and information it contains are not intended to, and do not constitute, medical or other health advice or diagnosis and should not be used as such. You should always consult with a qualified physician or health professional about your specific circumstances.