NHL & NBA owner Ted Leonsis

From hanging out with movie stars to schmoozing with international royalty, Ted Leonsis enjoys a pretty glamorous lifestyle. Still, days spent on planes, film sets, galas and sports arenas present a special challenge for the Internet executive turned sport-team owner and filmmaker. That’s because Leonsis lives with life-threatening allergies to peanuts and tree nuts, not to mention environmental allergies and asthma.

Leonsis, who’s best known for owning the NHL’s Washington Capitals and the NBA’s Washington Wizards, spoke to Allergic Living’s managing editor Kim Shiffman and revealed a lot about balancing an on-the-go lifestyle with his severe allergies.

Exactly what are you allergic to?

I’m allergic to every nut imaginable, plus cats and dogs, dust, mold, all the pollens, trees and grass. I’ve got a litany.

When were you diagnosed?

When I was a baby, my mom knew something was wrong with me because of how I would react to some foods. It was hit or miss, and she just thought, “Boy, guess he didn’t like that.”

Then one day I went shopping with her at Christmas, and they were roasting nuts in the store. The steam was going up in the air, and as we were walking down the aisle, I went into anaphylactic shock. An ambulance came and they took me to hospital. My mother didn’t know what had happened, but the doctor asked a lot of questions, sent me for skin tests and that’s when they realized how much allergy I had.

What’s the worst allergic reaction you’ve had?

One I remember that was really, really bad happened when I was 9 or 10. I went to a sleepover at a friend’s summerhouse, and he had cats. It activated a really bad asthma attack; I couldn’t breathe and got a bad headache. They took me to the hospital.

But more recently, in 2006, I was producing a movie – Woody Harrelson was in it and a bunch of other movie stars. We were on a studio lot in L.A. and it was late at night, maybe 10:30 p.m. Because it had been such a successful shoot, the crew ordered chicken-salad sandwiches from some famous L.A. restaurant. This is what they always did to celebrate.

The sandwiches came, and I took one. After a couple of bites, I noticed something crunchy. It was cashews. Immediately I started to get hives on my hands, then my ears, then my tongue. And I thought, “Here it comes.”

Next page: “They’re going to find me dead in this bathroom!”

The attack quickly escalated to the level that would normally land Silver in the emergency room, and she pushed the button for the flight attendant. “As she got to me, she looked at the man beside me and said, ‘Sir, you can’t have your cat on your lap like that,’” she recounts.

Silver had no idea she’d been seated next to a cat owner and his pet. “He had snuck the cat out of the carrier and had it on his lap under his jacket. And I said, ‘I can’t sit here – I can’t breathe.’”

Silver was immediately moved away from the cat, but it was too late: by then the asthma attack was in full swing, and her inhalers were barely keeping her any relief as she suffered through the flight. “When we arrived, my dad took one look at me and said, ‘What happened?’ He could see I couldn’t breathe.”

Silver’s travel tale could become far more common. As of July, Canada’s largest airline similarly began allowing owners to fly with cats or small dogs. In a policy reversal, Air Canada dropped a  2½-year ban on animals in the cabin – a move that has outraged pet-allergic travelers and asthma and allergy organizations, alarmed medical practitioners and spurred the Canadian Lung Association to launch a write-in campaign to bring the issue to the federal government.

Cash-strapped Air Canada says the decision to drop the ban on pets came after customers complained they were unable to travel with their small pets, as they could on WestJet and other carriers. “We looked for the best way of balancing the needs of all of our customers,” says Air Canada spokesperson Angela Mah. “By doing this, we are aligning our policies with the vast majority of international airlines as well as our major domestic competitor.”

At least three million Canadians suffer from asthma and allergies, and with some of the most potentially dangerous allergens being allowed on board, travel options for hundreds of thousands of passengers are becoming more limited.

Mah stresses that pets are limited to either two or four per flight (depending on the size of the aircraft), and that animals must be kept in their pet carriers under the seats. If an allergy sufferer ends up sitting near a pet, the airline will make “all reasonable efforts” to move one or the other to a different seat or flight.

Pet Hair on Clothes

Even when the pets ban was in effect, Mah adds, the airline could not guarantee a “dander-free cabin”, because many passengers have pet hair on their clothes, and because the airline must allow service animals for passengers with disabilities. Most planes are equipped with high-efficiency HEPA filters, and she says the cabin air quality “compares favourably” to that in other indoor environments.

Dr. Donald Stark is not convinced. The Vancouver allergist lobbied to have animals removed from airline cabins so that people with pet allergies – roughly 10 per cent of the population – could breathe more easily when they travel. Having a pet in the cabin is far worse than having a pet owner with a little hair on the clothes, he says, because the levels of allergen being released into the air are much higher.

Stark adds that air filters can only do so much – especially if they’re not changed frequently – and air moving through the cabin can affect allergic flyers before it even gets to the filter.

While the air quality in some cabins may be similar to other indoor environments, there is one key difference: on the ground, an allergic person can walk out the door.

Ask for what you need. If you have a life-threatening allergy, tell the check-in clerk so he or she can put it on your file. Also double check that if you asked for a room with a kitchen, that’s what you’re getting. If you’re not sure where the closest medical facilities are, ask for that information as well.

Wipe down surfaces. Don’t assume that the cleaning staff have done a stellar job. Make sure to wipe down counters, tables, phones, TV converters, faucets, etc. to avoid accidental contact with traces of the food you’re allergic to.

Call ahead. If you eat at the hotel restaurant or order room service, call ahead and tell them about your dietary restrictions. Many hotels are accustomed to dealing with allergic travelers, and can accommodate your needs. If they can’t, don’t risk it – hit the local market and whip up a stellar, and safe, meal.

Talk to the concierge. If you stay at a hotel that has a concierge, tell him or her about your allergies and ask what resources are available in the hotel and surrounding area. It may be that there’s an allergy-friendly restaurant, bakery or shop just around the corner.

Pack your medications. Always remember to bring your allergy and asthma medications with you – and if you’re flying, don’t pack them in your checked baggage. Keep them with you at all times.

Pack food. If you’re not sure what foods will be available on the road or in the air, bring some of your favourite safe foods and beverages along for the ride. Always bring plenty of non-perishable snacks that don’t require any preparation. And if you’re taking a car trip, pack a cooler and keep it in the trunk. Travel cooler bags come in many shapes and sizes, and are a cheap and simple way to make your food portable.

Pack cooking supplies. If you’re staying in a hotel or even with friends, it never hurts to travel with a basic cooking set. Lightweight, compact sets are available at any major retailer that sells camping supplies. While you’re there, pick up a lightweight cutting board, and a small cutlery and dish set, and you’ll be all set to go.

Pack wipes. Hand wipes can be wonderfully convenient when you’re traveling. Use them to wipe your hands and other surfaces.

Talk to the staff. If you’re flying, mention your allergies to all airline employees that you deal with – in particular the employees at the check-in counter, at the gate, and on the plane. That way it’s less likely there will be any crossed wires.

On the Plane

Pre-board. If you have a serious allergy, you can take advantage of pre-boarding, and use the extra couple of minutes to wipe down the table tray and the arms of your or your child’s seat, and to cover the seat with a sheet, blanket, or seat cover.

Ask if they can make an announcement. Some airlines’ official policy is that they will not make an announcement asking other passengers to refrain from eating foods that could cause you trouble. But sometimes the crews at the gate and on the flight are more flexible, do don’t hesitate to ask.

See Chart: Comparing Airlines

Wash your hands. Before you eat, make sure to wash your hands to remove any allergen that you may have picked up in the airport or on the plane.

Only eat your own food. If you’re thousands of metres up in the sky, you don’t want to experiment with new foods. Bring foods that you know are safe and stick with them. And even if you bring foods that have been safe for you in the past, make sure to re-read the ingredients in case they have changed.

Talk to the flight attendants. If there is anything that causes you concern, or if you experience any reaction in-flight, tell the flight attendant. They are trained to deal with all kinds of medical emergencies and are generally happy to help.

It’s February, the dead of winter. The gloom is in full effect and I’m desperate for something to keep my spirits afloat. Then it dawns on me: Honey is turning 40 in less than a year. This is the perfect excuse to book a fabulous trip we can’t afford, take off time we don’t have and capitalize on my mother’s generous offer to give us one week a year to go away, without the kids.And so, Amsterdam and London it is. The clouds have parted and I’m over the moon (and the gloom).

Of course with nine months until takeoff, the stress of leaving my two babies so far behind has yet to sink in. It won’t be until the final stretch that I even let my mind go to that place that tells me I should never be more than a mile away from Lucas, my 4-year-old wunderkind who could go into anaphylactic shock from the most minute exposure to a peanut, tree nut or, worse, to the unknown trigger that caused a life-threatening reaction last year.

So I have bought myself several months of excitement to fantasize about the trip. Amid lingering thoughts of cobblestone alleys, quaint coffee shops and my big fat euro shopping spree, up pop sneaky images of peanut butter sandwiches, peanut butter cookies, Pad Thai drowning in peanuts and all the rest of the forbidden fruits we dare not even utter the names of in real life.

But as the months pass, anxiety supplants fantasy; it occurs to me that autumn’s arrival means that JK soon begins, not to mention a whole new slew of drop-off programs.

Then, with the trip just 12 days away, it hits me: Lucas is starting two of his fall programs the week we leave town. This means that The Mama will have to do the initial allergy tutorial with his new instructors and disseminate all my literature (including his allergy action plan, my safe snack document, my how-to-read ingredients page and my letter to the parents imploring them not to feed their children nuts or peanuts before class). I also like to stick around before and after class to make face-to-face contact with parents and caregivers to drive the point home. The Mama will have to do that, too.

To make matters more daunting, I give my mother an allergy management refresher only to find out that she thought the EpiPen was administered cap down (OY!) and that the vital ‘click’ comes when the epinephrine is finished (OY, OY OY!). As it also turns out, the nanny, despite repeated training, forgot about removing the cap altogether. Somehow she also believed the first thing she’s to do after administering the EpiPen is to lay Lucas down on a hard, flat surface and not let him move (AHHHHHH!). What ever happened to 911? I retrain them on everything, but still.

“Maybe I should just start his new programs when I get back,” I think as I lie awake night after night. Of course, if I were a good mother, I would have already taking care of least half these tasks in advance. In fact, if I were a good mother, I’d never be leaving in the first place.

Guilt, insecurities and second-guessing take hold of my entire being.

The next thing I know, I’m boarding the plane: Honey, magazines and pillow in tow. What a liberating moment. We’re directed to our seats and for the first time in as long as I can remember, I don’t have to hang back to compel the head purser to make an announcement about Lucas’s allergies, I don’t have to comb the aisles looking for suspicious treats, I’m not concerned about sanitizing the arm rests and tray tables, and I’m not carrying a 30-pound carry-on filled with six EpiPens, antihistamines, puffers and snacks for a year. I don’t have a care in the world.

Then, once the novelty of traveling weightlessly wears off, it happens. The ‘what ifs’ return in full force and the guilt comes back like a secondary infection. This begs the question: Is traveling without Lucas as stressful as traveling with him?

I’m still undecided. But one thing’s for sure, leaving home with or without our anaphylactic children will always feel like an insane, anxiety-riddled, guilt-laden gamble, worth every second of the ride.

Europe, naturally, was amazing. Honey and I got some much needed away time. The Mama decided of her own accord not to take Lucas to those programs and everything was fine on the home front. Next stop: Florida with the kids.

WestJet, however, remains cautious in what it tells passengers. “It should be noted that we cannot confirm all of our snacks are free of trace amounts of peanut or nut products,” a WestJet spokesperson told Allergic Living. While WestJet won’t serve any nuts or peanuts, other travellers are free to bring them on board.

Still, an optimistic Rousseau is asking people to contact the airline: “We need to encourage WestJet to keep the policy, and let them know the positive impact it has. And maybe other airlines will follow suit.” To provide feedback, write to Lorne MacKenzie, lmackenzie@westjet.com.

First published in Allergic Living magazine, Summer 2008
(c) Copyright AGW Publishing Inc.

To subscribe or order this issue, click here.

The Lung Association has also asked Air Canada and WestJet to compromise by designating some flights as pet-free. “We’re worried that profit is taking a front seat and public health is taking a back seat,” says Cameron Bishop, director of government affairs for The Lung Association. “We want to help Canadians to express their views on the issue of pet-free flights.”

A poll released by the association found that 80 per cent of Canadians want Canada’s airlines to offer pet-free flights. In addition, 75 per cent of Canadians believe that the federal government has a responsibility to protect the health and safety of passengers and crew.

Bishop hopes the campaign will convince Parliament to hold hearings this fall to review the public health ramifications of the airlines’ policies. “We, of course, recognize the need for service animals or guide dogs to be allowed on flights,” he adds. “We just request that passengers be alerted to their presence.”

The campaign has received the support of thousands of Canadians like Monica Peterson, who has asthma and a severe allergy to cats. She was flying on a WestJet flight from Winnipeg to Victoria last year when her eyes started watering and her airways became congested. “When the plane was unloading, it turned out a cat was under the seat in front of me. Luckily it was a short flight; it was alarming that there wasn’t even a warning that pets were on board.”

When Traveling with Asthma, Pet Allergies or COPD:

• Check with the airline beforehand to try to get on a pet-free flight.
• Take your medications regularly and follow your asthma action plan.
• Use your rescue inhaler 20 minutes before boarding the plane.
• Speak to your doctor before traveling. You may need medications adjusted for the flight.
• Always have your medications with you – never keep them in checked baggage.

From the Fall 2009 issue of Allergic Living magazine.
To order that issue or to subscribe, click here.

© Copyright AGW Publishing Inc.

The check-in attendant told the St. John’s resident that WestJet is a pet-friendly airline – small animals are allowed in the cabin in an enclosed kennel. In fact, there were two other cats on the flight. “I told her, ‘I cannot get on that plane. If I do, I could die,’” recalls Callahan.

He was offered a seat near the back. He explained that moving would make no difference since the air is re-circulated: “I can’t get away from a cat at 30,000 feet.” Callahan was told he could have a seat on the next flight, but turned that down since the airline could not guarantee there would be no cats on that plane.

“So I had two options, get on a WestJet plane and put my life in jeopardy or stay behind.” Instead, Callahan bought a last-minute ticket on the next Air Canada flight, which cost him $1,900 one way. Air Canada does not allow animals to travel in the passenger cabin.

“We’ve made the decision as an airline that we will continue to take them (pets) on board,” explains Richard Bartrem, vice-president of culture and communications at WestJet. “While we empathize with this gentleman’s situation, we will continue to offer this service as a benefit to our guests.”

The risk of a severe reaction for passengers with asthma is relatively low with air travel, according to Dr. Antony Ham Pong, an Ottawa allergist. Dander takes time to accumulate, so the level of dander would depend on how long the cat has been on the plane. “The risk is certainly lower than walking into a house where someone lives with a cat,” he says.

The level of reaction would also depend on a person’s asthma control. “If someone has uncontrolled asthma and he or she is sitting beside a cat, it can lead to big-time trouble,” says Dr. Ham Pong. “It could be fatal. But if his or her asthma is under control, it shouldn’t be a big issue. Just don’t sit next to the cat.”

Travelers should check ahead for pet policies on planes, trains and buses to reduce the risk of an asthma attack, the allergist says, adding that they should always carry their asthma and allergy medication on board, just in case.

Callahan is not content with WestJet’s policy, describing the airline’s attitude toward passengers with severe pet allergies as “terrible.” Although WestJet does post its pet-friendly policy on its website, it’s not easy to find. Callahan would like to see it on the homepage, so others with pet allergies will be well warned. However, Bartem says WestJet has no plans to post a warning on its homepage. So unless that policy changes, at least for this airline, it’s “flyer beware.”

To provide feedback, visit www.westjet.com, click on “contact us” and then select “e-mail guest relations”.

First published in Breathing Space, a supplement of Allergic Living magazine.
To contact the Lung Association in your region, click here.

1. Stick to countries where you speak the language. So far, that has limited my family to English- and French-speaking countries. It is critical that you can explain allergies clearly to people without any risk of miscommunication. When our younger daughter, who has multiple food allergies including peanuts, nuts, eggs, dairy, barley and kiwi, is a little older, we may relax this rule and there are allergy translation cards available. But for the first adventures, I recommend abiding by this rule.

I will never forget our trip to Italy when Kieryn (our older daughter who has no allergies) was a year old. She spiked a fever of 40 degrees C on the first night at our rented villa. We were staying in the middle of nowhere in Umbria and did not know where the nearest hospital was.

I called the villa’s agent for directions. She not only drove us to the hospital, but also translated what the doctor was saying. I can only imagine that this experience would have been even more stressful if we were dealing with an anaphylactic emergency in Italian.

2. With allergies in the family, it’s essential to know the distance to the nearest hospital before you book accommodations. We like to stay within an hour’s drive of a hospital, and to know that there is also a doctor or a clinic nearby.

3. Given my environmental allergies, we try to find places with tiled or wood floors instead of carpet. We look for wicker furniture or leather instead of stuffed couches. We always ask if the place has dogs, cats or other pets, as some villas and ski chalets are also people’s homes for part of the year.

4. Research local food labeling laws. If you’re thinking of traveling to the Caribbean this winter, I can report that much of the food is imported from the U.S. and Canada. So labeling on these products is not a problem. But you need to be more careful with locally produced items.

5. Check the import restrictions on the country you are going to as well as any countries you will be connecting through on flights. Like the U.S., many countries have restrictions on bringing in meat, fruit and vegetables, but most are OK with dry goods.

The Flight

We limit the number of flights to get to our destination, and avoid connecting via a third country. Since we’re traveling from Ottawa, this means looking for places we can fly to directly from Toronto or Montreal. We prefer not to fly through the U.S. because if we bring meat and fruit for the meal on the plane, we’ll have to throw them out if disembarking to catch another plane.

Time To Eat

1. Our motto and Number One rule for traveling with anaphylaxis is: Have Kitchen, Will Travel! We always try to stay somewhere that has a kitchen. There are a surprising number of options, including condos, villas, ski chalets and hotels with kitchenettes. We wash all pots, plates and cutlery on arrival, since we don’t know what foods were on them before.

2. We bring our own food for our daughter for every flight. We never let our daughter eat something if we don’t know the ingredients, and she never eats anything without her auto-injector on hand. We carry at least four EpiPens on every trip.

3. We pack and check one suitcase full of non-perishable food for every trip. You can’t count on being able to buy allergy-free foods abroad. Some items to consider (depending on the allergies): egg replacer; sesame-free bread; nut-, dairy- and egg-free cookies; nut- and dairy-free cereals; and gluten-free pasta. You can include a small freezer bag for perishables (like dairy-free margarine).

4. Bring enough food for your first day, so you don’t have to shop the moment you arrive. Think pasta and a can of pasta sauce for a first night’s dinner – or instant noodles for an overnight in a hotel room without a kitchen.

5. Are you staying longer than a week? Then bring allergy-free bread loaves and freeze some once you get to your destination. That way, the bread will last.

6. We eat as many meals as possible in our rental unit’s kitchen. When we go out for a day trip, we pack lunches and snacks to bring with us. If we absolutely have to eat out, we will not count on a waiter to communicate about the allergies. We try to speak directly to the person preparing the food and explain: the allergies, the fact that they are life-threatening, and to ask about possible cross-contamination. We prefer smaller restaurants because you have a better chance of speaking to the cook.

Stick with plain, simple foods (no sauces) to reduce risk. For example, plain rice, plain pasta, plain vegetables and grilled chicken or fish. Ask if an allergen has been on the grill before ordering.

Related:
• The scoop on air travel
• Traveling to sun destinations with allergies
• Tips for traveling with allergic kids

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The Toronto Star featured a woman with asthma who flew from Paris to Toronto with a cat as a fellow passenger – and struggled to breathe the entire trip. She used her reliever inhaler, but wasn’t able to get her asthma under control during the flight she describes as “eight hours of distress.”

Meanwhile, Maclean’s spoke to a man whose dog died in the cargo section of plane (note: this larger lab mix dog would have been too large to be allowed in the cabin under the new rules). The article addresses the concerns of those with serious allergies, but stresses the happiness of pet owners with the news. The executive director of the Humane Society of Canada is quoted as saying:

“As a veteran air traveller, I would find [pets] much less objectionable than some of the people who’ve sat next to me on a flight.”

The Toronto Star also published a Q&A with Air Canada, which explains what the airline will do to accommodate those with allergies. It includes this quote from the airline: “We will make reasonable efforts to move you or the pet and pet owner. Where feasible, it may even be possible to allow passengers to change flights at the last minute at no extra charge if you prefer not to be on a particular flight with an animal.” Read the rest of The Star’s Q&A here.

What do you think? Have your say on our Talking Allergies Forum.

See Also:
• Survey: 80% want Pet-free Flights
• Forum: Food Allergies And Airlines
• Airlines and Allergies: Chart comparing allergy policies of 11 airlines (Note: doesn’t include new Air Canada rules.)
• Tips on Flying with Food Allergies