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2008-10-16  JOHNS CREEK HERALD | Johns Creek mom creates company to raise awareness
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| | by Jennifer Chapman | |  |
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| | | (SPECIAL/www.northfulton.com)
Johns Creek resident and mother of three Rebecca Nelson created ALERT Clothing Company to raise awareness about children’s food allergies. Pictured is her son wearing an ALERT T-shirt and holding an ALERT tote bag. | |
October 16, 2008
JOHNS CREEK - It's commonplace in elementary school cafeterias to see children sharing snacks or trading a cookie for a brownie out of brown-bagged lunches.
But that worries Rebecca Nelson. The Johns Creek mother of three has two sons with food allergies and the last thing they need is to accidentally eat a peanut butter cookie or take a sip of milk in the lunchroom.
So she had one of her sons wear a medical identification bracelet to make teachers and staff aware of his allergies.
"The problem with that was there were three little boys who looked just like him and if they turned around, you wouldn't be able to tell them apart," said Nelson. "I thought 'I've got to find a way to be sure he's safe in school."
She said since she can't be with her child all day at school and because parents can't rely on a two, three or four-year-old to relay their food allergies to school staff, she designed a special shirt for her child to wear to pre-school.
Nelson got busy working on the computer, designing a T-shirt that read "Food Allergy Alert." Nelson previously designed children's clothing and owned a speciality gift shop in Perimeter Mall.
When she sent her son to school with the T-shirt on, several parents asked where they could get one for their son or daughter.
"I wanted the children to feel special in the T-shirt," said Nelson.
That's when Nelson taught herself computer programs and created a whole line - 12 designs - of colorful T-shirts with animals, insects and other kid-friendly designs. Then came the company name, ALERT Clothing Company.
The ALERT logo is on the back of the T-shirt, so a teacher or staff person can identify a student from the back.
Food allergies are a growing trend in young children. According to the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN), one in 17 children under the age of 3 - or three million children - have food allergies.
Peanut allergies have doubled from 1997-2002, according to FAAN. The most common food allergic reactions come from milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, soy and wheat.
"There's things you don't think about until it's in your family," said Nelson. "(The T-shirts) are to help the caregivers. I wanted to do this to create the understanding and awareness about food allergies - people need to be aware about it."
Nelson is expanding the business to not only include T-shirts, but tote bags and sweatshirts as well.
One T-shirt design has a purple elephant that reads: "Food Allergy Alert. No nuts for me - thank you!!!"
"I wanted the shirts to be bright and attract attention," said Nelson. "It's something fun and I just used my imagination. But it does give you a little piece of mind as well."
T-shirts start at $18.99 and sweatshirts cost $26. Percentage of sales go toward FAAN and schools' Parent-Teacher Associations.
For more information about ALERT Clothing Company, visit www.alertclothingcompany.com.
 View images.
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