Michael Schochat

When Michael Schochat was six months old he tried hummus for the first time, and he got hives on his lips. The doctor told his parents to give him Benadryl and keep him away from chickpeas.

At nine months, he had an allergic reaction to scrambled eggs. And the list goes on.

By the time he was a toddler, he lived primarily on plain pasta and turkey.

"They told us he was allergic to peanuts, tree nuts, soy, all legumes and sesame," said Aviva Schochat, his mother. "It was horrible. We had two blenders to avoid cross contamination. I was reading labels all the time, and I had to make sure the babysitter knew what to do."

She was frustrated, and she felt alone until she reached out to Rochester Regional Health's Allergy, Immunology and Rheumatology practice. But there, she found specialists who could help her navigate the long list of allergies and improve Michael's quality of life.

She needed to know how to keep Michael safe before he could read, and she wondered if Michael could handle his favorite teriyaki marinade once the manufacturer altered the recipe. Doctors from the practice helped her with all of that and countless other questions.

For now, Michael attends a school that's nut and sesame free, but Aviva knows as Michael ages he will eventually change schools.

"I know that's a totally different game," she said, but with the Rochester Regional Health practice by her side she's confident they'll get through it. "There's a reason you go to a specialist."