Family of Rockingham toddler Braxton Cherry tries to raise money for extreme food, dust allergies

THE family of a Rockingham toddler who is severely allergic to dust mites – and nearly “all food” – is trying to raise $2500 for a specialist appointment.

Braxton Cherry is severely allergic to all staple foods including egg whites, milk, fish, wheat, all nuts and soy.

Something as simple as day-old bed sheets or a dusty carpet can also cause the one and a half year old to break out in severe eczema across his body.

His family is seeking $2500 in an effort to fund a specialist appointment to help aid the toddler’s extreme allergies.

Braxton’s mother Chelsea Atkins said he would not go to sleep without the air conditioner blasting.

“I can’t go to work or apply for a job because he can’t go to day-care as carpet is a major problem to his allergies,” she said.

“If he goes on a carpet that hasn’t been vacuumed his skin will be infected with scabs – he basically can’t go out where he doesn’t know what’s around.”

Ms Atkins said she had watched her son experience small itches that quickly turned into severe cases of eczema and infections due to the veracity of his scratching.

“Braxton has been suffering from eczema since he was four months old,” she said.

“We found a doctor six months ago now and he conducted blood tests and found he’s allergic to nearly all food.”

Chelsea and her partner Shane Cherry were sent for urgent referral to see a paediatric immunology specialist at Princess Margaret Hospital after receiving the results from Braxton’s blood tests.

However, they are on a 12-month public waitlist.

“The only way we could see the specialist prior to 12 months is if we paid everything ourselves and went private,” Ms Atkins said.

“I’ve made an appointment with the first available dermatologist for March but we’re hoping he will refer us to an immunology clinic privately for tests.

“This is where the money raised will be spent – on private medical care.”

“We hope to go privately as going through the public system is still another year away and we cannot put Braxton through another 12 months the way he is.”

Paediatric immunology treatment would give Braxton a life-saving EpiPen, that can’t be obtained through a general GP, and would help him complete his allergy testing.

“Braxton’s currently on oral and cream anti-histamine steroids and antibiotics but he out grows all steroids – and if he were to go off the antibiotics his face will blow up like a balloon,” Ms Atkins said.

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