After Near-Fatal Allergic Reactions, Teen Launches School Allergy Resource

[Trigger Warning]

While summer break is typically a time for students to relax, local experts and advocates emphasize that the hiatus is also an ideal opportunity for families to establish food allergy safety plans before the new school year begins. For Atlantic Coast High School student Runali Salvi, managing severe food allergies has been a lifelong reality. However, a terrifying week nearly two years ago completely changed how she and her family approach her health and safety.

The ordeal began when a friend offered Runali a snack that she believed was safe to eat. Shortly afterward, she began experiencing symptoms of an allergic reaction.

“All of a sudden I felt my mouth swelling up,” Runali recalled. “I read the ingredients and it didn’t have peanuts listed as an allergen, but I felt like my mouth swelling up and then I felt super tired and just, I broke out into hives.

According to Runali, the snack was not clearly labeled as containing nuts, contributing to her mistaken belief that it was safe.

Just days later, Runali experienced an even more severe reaction after accidentally drinking traditional dairy milk instead of an allergen-friendly alternative. She was out on a bike ride when the symptoms of anaphylaxis rapidly escalated.

I mistakenly drank it and I on a bike ride. All of a sudden my legs felt like they couldn’t move and I couldn’t breathe at all and I super tired. So, I put down my bike, and I laid on the sidewalk, then I lose memory,” she said.

Before losing consciousness, Runali managed to call her mother. A neighbor eventually found her and helped ensure she received emergency medical care.

Reflecting on the seriousness of the incident, the rising high school senior said the back-to-back reactions served as a wake-up call.

“I almost died during that reaction, because I wasn’t careful,” Runali said.

The experience also reinforced her frustration with how food allergies are often perceived by others.

“In school, people kind of treated it as a joke. It’s not really treated as a medical concern. It’s more treated like you’re picky and have a preference,” she explained.

For Runali, food allergies are far more than a preference. She is allergic to eight of the top nine major food allergens, including wheat, tree nuts, shellfish, dairy, eggs, and sesame.

Her mother stressed that strong communication between families and schools is critical to keeping students safe.

“Communication is very important. The teachers were really receptive to everything I had to tell them,” she said, adding that Duval County educators have consistently worked with the family to address changing needs as Runali progressed through school.

Motivated by her own experiences, Runali created Fight the Allergy Blues, an excellent educational resource featured by the school district that provides information and guidance for students, parents, teachers, and caregivers navigating food allergies.

“The main part is awareness and education and implementing a place where students can feel safe with food allergies,” Runali said.

Her father expressed pride in the way she has transformed difficult personal experiences into advocacy that may help protect others.

As families prepare for the upcoming school year, Runali hopes parents will use the summer months to begin conversations with teachers, school nurses, and administrators about allergy accommodations and emergency plans. She also wants students living with food allergies to remember that their safety should never be compromised.

“It’s so important to put your priorities and your safety first above all. Safety is a priority always,” Runali concluded.

View the Action News JAX report here:

We are relieved that Runali has survived her ordeals and wish her well on her journey and (hopefully) in her continuing advocacy. We congratulate her and Duvall County Public Schools for offering such a terrific resource for the estimated 6 million kids coping with food allergies.