Violent allergic reactions to jeans, batteries and Xbox leave teenager’s skin red raw and FALLING OFF
A BRAVE teenager has been left allergic to modern life – as jeans, batteries, his Xbox and even iPads all make his skin FALL OFF.
The teen, who has been called Freddy Krueger by bullies, must take extreme precautions to avoid contact with nickel, cobalt and blue dye.
His mum Lynn, 44, says Antonio's unusual allergies have turned their lives upside down since his first flare-up in summer 2014.
Nickel-free jewellery maker Lynn, from Philadelphia, USA, said: "Blue dye is in everything, you wouldn't believe it.
"Over in America we have different regulations for food manufacturing. Even marshmallows have it in – and of course food packaging.
"It's in toothpaste, so he can only use natural toothpaste.
"Clothing is one of the worst things he'll react to. Jeans are really bad because they bleed so much dye.
"It's not just if he wears something, it's if it's close to him, too. So if a kid wearing jeans sits next to him on the bus then he'll get a reaction.
She added: "I buy clear nail polish to cover the seat belts in cars, because that can cause a reaction.
"When we go to the movies, I have to take a seat cover so that he can sit without getting a reaction, which was fine to begin with but now he's getting older it's a bit more awkward.
"He has his own special stationery, and cutlery to take out to eat with."
And as Antonio's cobalt allergy is aggravated by batteries, the teen even has to use his iPad and Xbox wearing gloves.
Meanwhile, his devoted mum has also adopted plenty of makeshift measures since first finding Antonio in agony in 2014.
Lynn explained: "His skin was just red and falling off.
"It was literally like he was a snake shedding his skin. There was pain in his eyes. Layers of skin were falling off him and lying over his bed.
"He looked like he had been burned or had acid thrown on him.
"My husband and I rushed him straight to the children's hospital and they told us they had never seen anything like it."
Antonio had to wait two months for his skin to heal enough to begin testing - and he was eventually diagnosed with severe cobalt, nickel and blue dye allergies in late 2014.
Now, his mum has to help him apply a variety of creams every morning to minimise his reactions.
But despite fears for her son as he enters adolescence, the mum-of-one said her son deals with his condition incredibly well.
Lynn said: "It's the worst thing in the world to happen to me. I was told I would never have children, so he's even more special.
"He does get bullied sometimes, a kid called him Freddy Krueger once and he was upset.
"But he's amazing. He has so much strength, he keeps telling me that everything will be fine and we can manage it. He just deals with it.
"When I ask him how he is he's always like, 'I feel great!'