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You are here: Home / Allergies / Allergic reactions / Happy Father’s Day Ricky

Happy Father’s Day Ricky

June 19, 2016 by Emma 25 Comments

Dear Ricky

I know it’s just for laughs. I know you like to be a little bit controversial and get a reaction from people. Usually I try to let these things go. Usually I try to roll my eyes at the ignorance and move on.

But this Father’s Day I want to ask you – what if it were your child?

Let’s say you take a flight together, first class of course. There might be free Champagne but it’s not enough to take away the knot in your stomach, the inherent fear of travelling with a nut allergy.

Let’ say you have researched the airlines carefully to find one that is happy to make an announcement about their nut allergy. Then you cross your fingers. Cross your fingers that people listen, that people have the respect to put away the nuts for a few hours.

But there’s always one. Always one that thinks it’s ‘their right’. Perhaps they saw a sketch on TV that perpetuated their self-serving beliefs.

So your child starts to react.

For the record, they wouldn’t ‘blow up like a big frog’. They would most likely struggle to breathe, gasp for air and stare at you with a look of terror. Their innocent eyes and lips might swell so you can barely recognise them. They may be violently sick as their body tries to purge the poison from their system.

Hopefully you have an adrenaline injector with you. Hopefully you can hold your child down and stab them in the leg with a sharp needle. Hopefully it works.

That night, in hospital, you feel lucky the plane was able to divert and make an emergency landing. You feel lucky that your child is sleeping next to you. Still alive.

You turn on the TV to find something funny to watch, to relax and try to forget the horrors of the day.

And you find a well known comedian making fun of the life-threatening condition that almost killed your child, just to get a quick laugh with some cheap comedy.

So you roll your eyes at the ignorance, hold your child closer and hope they never have to know what it really feels like.

Happy Father’s Day.

Emma

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Comments

  1. Rachelle Lawley says

    June 19, 2016 at 6:16 am

    So so true, and scary, can’t stand people making light of it or fun of it. They have no idea what it is like in our shoes!

    Reply
    • Emma says

      June 19, 2016 at 8:26 am

      No they don’t and it makes me mad when someone so high profile perpetuates stereotypes.

      Reply
  2. Kelly Porter says

    June 19, 2016 at 8:51 am

    I couldn’t have put it better myself. It’s a shame people don’t realise the possible consequences of their actions. Haveing a child with life threatening allergies is hard enough, without famous comedians using itto get a few laughs. Some things just aren’t funny, it doesn’t matter how you look at it.

    Reply
    • Emma says

      June 19, 2016 at 10:39 am

      You’re right Kelly, some things just aren’t funny. Allergies still seem to be cheap fodder when you couldn’t get away with saying the same thing about other conditions.

      Reply
  3. Beth @ Twinderelmo says

    June 20, 2016 at 9:37 am

    I guess that’s the thing about comedians isn’t it, they need a cheap laugh somewhere. I used to really like Ricky but he’s really gone up his own Arse

    Reply
    • Emma says

      June 28, 2016 at 11:49 am

      Well put Beth!

      Reply
  4. Allergy Mums says

    June 20, 2016 at 10:31 am

    Cheap laughs. It’s so scary and so so infuriating when others seem to think it’s nothing but funny. Mind you ‘I’m so spoiled’ about sums it up.

    Reply
    • Emma says

      June 28, 2016 at 11:50 am

      It really is infuriating and makes life harder for anyone suffering with allergies.

      Reply
  5. Joanna says

    June 20, 2016 at 12:05 pm

    It must be so scary when children have bad allergies its definitely not something to be making fun of or joking about.

    Reply
    • Emma says

      June 28, 2016 at 11:50 am

      It’s sad that people think it is funny.

      Reply
  6. Kellie Kearney says

    June 20, 2016 at 7:36 pm

    My daughter had a severe egg allergy as a child, it scared the life out of me. Miraculously she grew out of it. Allergies are not to be joked at. I find his comments quite disgusting!

    Reply
    • Emma says

      June 28, 2016 at 11:48 am

      I’m glad your daughter grew out her allergy but it can be very scary and as you say, not to be joked at.

      Reply
  7. Sabrina @ The Mummy Stylist says

    June 20, 2016 at 7:39 pm

    Oh how scary allergies are, it is terrible when people are flippant about it, especially those in the public eye. I can’t imagine how you feel x

    Reply
    • Emma says

      June 28, 2016 at 11:48 am

      Yes Sabrina, it’s particularly bad when people with a big reach or who others look up to make flippant comments

      Reply
  8. Kate - gluten free alchemist says

    June 24, 2016 at 9:45 pm

    What an amazing post Emma. So so proud of you for making it crystal clear that this sort of comedy is not acceptable at any level. Well said. Well done. Let’s hope RJ gets to read it! xx

    Reply
    • Emma says

      June 28, 2016 at 11:26 am

      Thanks Kate, that means a lot.

      Reply
  9. Jess says

    June 25, 2016 at 9:45 am

    I’d be an anxious mess if my child had an allergy, especially when it came to them going to friends houses or eating out, I can’t imagine what it’s like! xx

    Reply
    • Emma says

      June 28, 2016 at 11:26 am

      Ha, I’m an anxious mess most the time! No, you learn to deal with it but is is hard.

      Reply
  10. Just Motherhood says

    June 27, 2016 at 12:51 pm

    Aw it is such a shame when people don’t understand how severe a nut allergy can be, and even life threatening. I cant imagine what it must be like. But I think people need to be a lot more understanding of it. x

    Reply
    • Emma says

      June 28, 2016 at 11:25 am

      Yes, I think once people have seen a real reaction they understand but most have no idea.

      Reply
  11. Emily says

    June 27, 2016 at 1:59 pm

    I’ve always liked Ricky but you’re absolutely right, this is not about him or ‘laughs’ it’s bloody serious! A Well written and a very important message

    Reply
    • Emma says

      June 28, 2016 at 11:24 am

      Thanks Emily, it is an important message and can be very serious.

      Reply
  12. Jodie says

    June 28, 2016 at 5:51 am

    You are so right. You should find his managers contact and send this to him. It’s important.

    Reply
    • Emma says

      June 28, 2016 at 11:24 am

      Thanks Jodie. I tweeted him and posted on his Facebook page but you wonder if it ever gets to him!

      Reply
  13. Ting at My Travel Monkey says

    August 12, 2016 at 2:16 pm

    Great open letter, these things shouldn’t be made light of. Popping over from the #BISS team

    Reply

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