Every allergic reaction is different, but the fear is always the same.

It was a quiet Thursday afternoon. Iliana was in the living room watching Peppa Pig, having just finished lunch, when I noticed her shifting around irritably. Then she began to scratch. I went over to check on her and when I say check, I mean a full inspection, diaper area included, to rule out anything that might be bothering her.

To my shock, her entire groin area was red, inflamed and warm to the touch, with hives starting to appear. I immediately gave her Telfast syrup (an anti-histamine) and waited to see if things would calm down. While waiting, I had Iliana soak in cool water in her tub and handed every toy I could find to keep her from scratching. It seemed to help — she stopped scratching but I soon noticed hives spreading to her legs and arms.

At that point, I knew we couldn’t wait it out. With the hives continuing to appear, the safest next step was head to the hospital, where she might need a hydrocortisone (steroid) shot to calm her overactive immune response. We quickly changed Iliana into a long-sleeved outfit, packed her essentials, and headed to Cyberjaya Hospital. This was already her third visit for the same reason. I always bring her straight to the Emergency Department. Just in case the reaction escalates.

The doctors admitted her and after discussing the options, we agreed on a hydrocortisone shot. Once the injection was given, the hives started to fade but the redness, particularly around her groin, lingered for a while. Iliana, exhausted from it all, drifted off to sleep. She slept so deeply that even when the nurses moved her to the observation ward, she did not wake up. A rare sight for my usually light sleeper. My poor little girl. Shayne, our helper, stayed by her side while I dashed home to grab a few more things — snacks, her dinner and toys to make the long hours at the hospital a little easier for her.

So what triggered this reaction? That’s the puzzling part. Iliana ate the same foods she has every day, we hadn’t introduced any new activities, and no new creams – except for one product whose formula was recently changed. I actually handled the whole episode with surprising calm because I truly didn’t see it coming. Does that make sense?

For context, Iliana is under the care of two allergists, Dr. Grace and Dr. Kent at Gleneagles, KL, as we work through her milk, egg and banana allergies. I updated them on what happened, sent a few photos, and they asked us to come in for a follow-up discussion the next day.

The discussion with both doctors was such a relief. They really took their time to walk me through everything and made sure I understood what might be happening Iliana’s little system. Dr. Kent explained that since nothing new had been introduced, it didn’t quite fit the pattern of a typical allergic reaction. At first, we wondered if maybe she’d been bitten or stung by something, but there were no marks to support that. Based on all the details I shared, the most likely explanation was a viral trigger. He described it as possibly an accumulation on different factors. Her immune system may have been fighting something quietly, and that day her body just reacted.

His explanation clicked for me because there had already been signs in the days leading up to that afternoon. A few days earlier, I’d taken Iliana to an indoor playground where she played almost the whole day and missed out on her usual hours of sleep. On top of that, she was teething, which had already been disrupting her rest. The next day, she had swimming class and even broke out in hives afterward, though they disappeared quickly with antihistamine. Adding to the mix, Iliana has also been taking a small amount of baked egg muffin every day as part of her milk-allergy desensitization, and we’d been doing this consistently for about three weeks.

Looking back, it must have been exhausting for her little body. All those factors combined could easily have dipped her immune defenses and set the stage for a viral attack or mast cell activation. Dr. Kent also reminded me that there’s a possibility of another reaction like this while Iliana’s immune defenses are still low. To help her body recover, he recommended giving antihistamines twice a day for a week. We’ve been following that plan, and because I’m quite big on food, I’m also focusing on meals that are fresh, simple and gentle on her gut and naturally low in histamine.

Allergies may be unpredictable, but they’ve given our family an unexpected gift: a deeper appreciation for food, for every safe meal, every doctor who listens, and every tiny sign of healing. It’s taught us to listen closely to Iliana’s cues and advocate for her. It’s not the journey we wished for, but love and patience have a way of carrying us through.

After going through a few episodes of Iliana’s allergy reaction, I wanted to put together the practical tips and lessons that have helped us navigate reactions in the heat of the moment. Every child is different, but I hope these pointers give other parents a starting place and a little extra peace of mind.