Jo Frost is opening up about a serious and life-threatening medical condition that shapes how she lives her life, and why more awareness is urgently needed.
The 54-year-old TV star known as the Supernanny recently shared on Instagram that she lives with anaphylaxis, a life-threatening allergic reaction that requires constant vigilance and lifestyle adjustments.
"I’ve survived more anaphylactic shocks than I’m prepared to go into detail about right now," she said in a heartfelt video. "I have anaphylaxis, a life-threatening medical condition to certain foods that will compromise my body so horrifically to the point of hospitalization."
Frost explained that many others also live with the condition, often without adequate understanding from those around them.
"Absolute millions of my community around the world, children and adults, live cautiously and anxiously navigating this journey with not nearly enough compassion, education and empathy from those who do not," she said. "Today, everyone will know someone or someone who knows of one with anaphylaxis. If you ignore the severity of this medical condition, it’s as bad as shoving a loaded gun in my face."
Anaphylaxis typically occurs within minutes of exposure to an allergen (often food, insect stings, or medication) and can cause symptoms like swelling, difficulty breathing, dizziness, and even loss of consciousness. In some cases, skin may appear blue or grey due to lack of oxygen.
Dr Gareth Nye, a biomedical science lecturer at the University of Salford, previously told The Mirror, "What triggers this is individual to you and it's down to your immune system and genetics to determine whether you are allergic to something or not, and if you are, how severe that reaction is."
Frost says the condition affects her every single day. "I’m unapologetic for my medical condition," she said. "I did not ask for it, and it does not define who I am and the impact that I make in the world daily.
"But it does impact how I live my life daily, like the precautions I take, the energy I have to use to discern with hypervigilance. [...] It means your 'it may contain' labels are a consistent truth that you dodge accountability legally and put your greed before my safety."
She continued, "It means that your ‘inclusion’ of health and safety standards doesn’t apply to me. Just non-anaphylaxis people out there. And by the way, I speak on behalf of those who also have celiac disease, too, because we are all not faddy eaters."
Calling for greater awareness and inclusion, she added: "I’m not looking to be treated special, I’m looking to be treated with the same dignity and attentiveness as you just showed others."
And to those who downplay the condition, she had a clear message: "Menus, workspaces, school training, events spaces for all, to champion children who are all ours really in this world. Get curious and learn more, because really, as I mentioned before, we all know someone."