'Fruit could kill me': Fellow sufferers rally to Hull mum Charlotte Jefferson

SUFFERERS of an unusual food intolerance from as far as New Zealand have been offering to help a Hull mum.

They have been in touch with the Mail after we featured the story of Charlotte Jefferson, who sufferers from salicylate intolerance.

The condition means her body is unable to handle more than a certain amount of salicylates, which are found in fruits and other foods in varying degrees.

Charlotte cannot eat most fruits, except bananas, and has been hospitalised on numerous occasions because of her condition.

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At the weekend, the Mail was contacted by Deborah Davies – a patient living in New Zealand, who has attended a specialist allergy clinic in Auckland.

We have also passed on numbers of people living in the Hull area.

Charlotte, who lives in east Hull, said: "I've found it very helpful that people have been in touch.

"One lady who phoned me has a less serious version than me, but she has trouble finding perfumes.

"As the salicylates are in fruit, she says fruit-smelling or fruit- flavoured things can affect her.

"You can't believe that something like this can affect what perfume, washing up liquid and floor cleaner you choose."

After our front page on Charlotte last week, we urged other sufferers and specialists in the condition to get in touch.

So far, three patients with salicylate intolerance have come forward but Charlotte, who is mum to Warren, three, is still hopeful a specialist dietician will be able to help her.

She said: "At the moment, tasting different foods and different brands of food is all trial and error – becoming poorly when it goes wrong.

"I know I can have carrots and mushrooms, which both have salicylate in, but I can't have too many of them together.

"If someone could work out what amounts of which foods I can have, it would make life so much easier.

"Or perhaps there is a pill or a supplement I can take that can stop me getting ill when I do eat them?"

Charlotte has been hospitalised several times after eating a food she thought was OK, only to discover she had a reaction to it.

On one occasion, her throat swelled up so much she could not breathe.

She has also had incidences of coughing up blood.

She said: "It is nice to know there are other people out there who have the condition.

"I've been called a liar in the past, because people don't understand.

"Hopefully, this will raise more awareness."