Special-Needs Business Profile: Sweet Alexis Bakery

Michele Fellows started Sweet Alexis Bakery, a family-run establishment, in May 2008. At that time, it was "a wholesale manufacturing and online facility," she explains. "Although our facility is tucked away in a small town in an even smaller strip mall, people would come by wanting to buy product directly from me. Therefore, in October 2009 we decided to open our doors to the public with retail hours as well."

"Sweet Alexis Bakery manufactures and specializes in delicious and safe baked goods made without dairy, eggs, tree nuts or peanuts," says Fellows. "In addition, Sweet Alexis products are made without preservatives or fillers, contain no cholesterol, are vegan and, although delicious for everyone, are prefect for those with food allergies or on a special diet. Our products can be found at our brick-and-mortar location in California or online at www.sweetalexis.com."

Fellows has two children with food allergies; her oldest, Alexis, is the bakery's namesake and inspiration. "When Alexis had her first 'episode,' it was Good Friday and she spent her first Easter in the hospital," Fellows recalls. "Fast forward four years to preschool, again on Good Friday, all the children were given candy and Alexis a pencil. She seemed okay, but I was devastated the she was singled out! My poor baby! My husband said to me, 'You’re a strong person, turn this into a positive.' I had to do something. At the time of Alexis's diagnoses, there was very little information, let alone product, available. When we were released from the hospital we were given no one to call, no websites, and other than one cookbook that we didn’t find until years later, we had absolutely no resource. I couldn't let another mother go through what we did. If they could learn from my experiences, then we had a purpose behind the nightmare."

The first thing Fellows had to do to get her business going was learn how to bake. "It was my mission to create cookies, cupcakes and more that not only were delicious for my kids but for others as well. After all, I didn’t want my children eating one thing while others ate something different. I did not want them singled out or ostracized, so I went about creating treats everyone enjoyed. Eventually, I made treats that friends and family enjoyed and began asking me to make for their parties, etc. A few years down the road, a once very famous local café heard about my products and began to carry them. Sweet Alexis was an instant hit, and we had hopes and dreams of not only launching a national company but to also put food allergy awareness at the forefront. Unfortunately, this did not work out, and we were forced to either give up our dreams or go it alone. Without any business experience or capital, my husband and I decided to take a chance and go for it. I didn't want look back in fifty years and say, 'What if?' We found a local kitchen and jumped in feet first. I knew that I had to stop complaining about all that was not available to me and my family, that I had a purpose and this was it, to not only make safe and wonderful allergy safe treats but to advocate for those who could not."

That advocacy for others has been one of the best things about being in business, Fellows reports. "A few weeks ago a local school called in a panic. There was a birthday party planned and a food-allergic child did not have a safe treat. Sweet Alexis Bakery to the rescue! We made a dairy-free, egg-free, peanut- and tree-nut-free red velvet cupcake with 'buttery cream' frosting in a fancy cupcake sleeve. The other kiddos were envious, I know." Fellows enjoys seeing "the smile on a child’s face when they can have a safe and yummy goodie," but "the hardest thing by far is that this is a twenty-four-hour job, and although I am able to work from home at times, I feel guilt about not being able to do more with my children and husband, especially during the summer months. My husband works full-time, so our time together is limited and activities are few. Nonetheless, we know that this is a worthy cause and that there is such a need."

Asked if she considers her business a success, Fellows points out that "Sweet Alexis Bakery is the only completely dedicated allergen-safe kitchen/bakery in the West, and one of few manufacturers in the nation. Sweet Alexis is also affiliated with major companies such as MedicAlert, The Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network, and Peanut Free Planet, a national distributor of allergen-free products. The trust and confidence of the food-allergic community is paramount, and we absolutely love when families drive miles out of their way, bring their whole family, and stay for hours sharing and experiencing the shop. You can’t imagine the look on a child’s face who has never had a store-bought cookie. It brings tears to my eyes."

"Parents of food-allergic kids are thrilled with the Sweet Alexis brand and products," Fellows says. "They often comment that our logo is cheery and not doom-and-gloom, and rave about the products. Sweet Alexis products are homemade and taste just like regular cookies and cupcakes, and everyone loves them. I often hear from the non-food-allergic community that they thought the product would taste bad because it’s free from allergens and are surprised about how much they like it. Some claim that our products are their favorite."

For other parents thinking of going into business, Fellows advises, "Opening a bakery, let alone one catering to the food-allergic community, is extremely difficult. However, it would be great to have more options for our community. As an owner, one must be constantly vigilant about the supplies, products, etc., and have the highest of standards to keep your customers happy and, more importantly, safe."

When did you find out your child had special needs?

For Alexis, her issues started at birth when she had major troubles with nursing. She would arch her back and cry. She would wake up every few hours, and during the day we would have her sleep in a back carrier or a swing just to keep her elevated. This prevented her stomach from being agitated by the allergens in my breast milk. Not only was I eating everything she was allergic to and not realizing it, but she was also allergic to the lactose that naturally occurs in breast milk. Sometimes in order to soothe her stomach, she would nurse for up to three hours at a time.

After three weeks of trying to nurse, Alexis was not thriving on breast milk, so I made the socially unpopular decision to switch her to formula. Initially, we put Alexis on soy formula, not realizing she was intolerant to soy. Though the soy did not cause an immediate reaction, over time it caused her stomach to become irritated and she began to reflux (a condition that occurs when gastric juices or small amounts of food from the stomach flow back into the esophagus and mouth). Most kids spit up with reflux, but she never did, so we had no idea damage was being caused.

When Alexis was five months old, I tried to give her the first bit of solid food, which was a milk- based rice cereal. She immediately spit it up. This was the moment we knew something was truly wrong. When she was six months old, we had our first visit to the emergency room. She was having a severe allergic reaction and needed medication. The only thing I had was children’s chewable Benedryl. This medication contains lactose, which is used as a binder. She began to wheeze as we drove to the ER, where she was given her first dose of Albuterol, an emergency breathing medicine. Alexis was given Albuterol every four hours, day and night, for the next four months. Although I was in the pediatrician's office every week begging for help and at one point asking to see a pulmonologist, the doctor said she was just fine and not to worry. They said she was just getting over what may be RSV.

At just ten months old, Alexis was breathing so badly I used a humidifier as directed -- which I later discovered is not recommended for asthmatics. After a brief session with the humidifier, her condition declined to the point that she needed Albuterol every hour just to get by. By the time my husband got home from his night shift as a police officer at five a.m., Alexis was retracting and gasping for air. We rushed her into the ER where they immediately began more aggressive treatment. At one point, we thought she was stabilized and they were about to discharge us when she began to crash. The ER called in respiratory STAT and began frantically working on her. She turned blue and her eyes rolled into the back of her head. My husband and I alternated positions next to her while the other stood and watched. There was a hospital staff member standing next to us offering support in case she passed away. I just wanted that person to go away. We couldn’t lose Alexis.

Eventually, the hospital staff was able to stabilize Alexis and she was admitted to the ICU, where she went into 24-hour Albuterol treatment. She was there for three days until she was well enough to go the pediatric floor, where she spent the next seven days. From there, they ran a gamut of tests. One test required a tube down her nose for a day and another required her to be tied to a board and forced to drink a barium mixture so the staff could x-ray her lungs. She was poked and prodded beyond belief. For the most part, Alexis was a real trouper, but when they tied her to the board for the lung x-ray, she'd had enough. She went into shock and was unresponsive for four hours. She just clung to me and wouldn’t even blink.

After all the tests were complete, we were told she had multiple life-threatening food allergies and asthma. We were discharged with many medications that had to be given around the clock. We were also told that the reflux caused by the soy formula had given her five ulcers on her esophagus. She was only ten months old.

How did her diagnosis affect your family?

Upon discharge from the hospital, we found ourselves dealing with the reality of Alexis's condition. There was no instruction manual to guide our way. At the time, there were very few resources for food allergies. We were left to figure out for ourselves how to keep her alive. To this day, we must monitor everything she does, everywhere she goes, and everything she eats. Everyone she comes in contact with must be made aware of her situation, and those supervising her must be trained to use the medications we carry with us at all times. If she ingests one of her allergens and is not given the proper medication, she could go into cardiac arrest or stop breathing and die. The hard part is that each reaction is different so everyone must constantly be on alert.

As a family, we have adjusted to our limitations. We only travel in our 18-foot trailer and try to stay within minutes of a hospital at all times. We do not fly due to too many complications that could occur. Grocery shopping takes extra long because I must read the labels on all food items regardless of how many times I have purchased them. Companies change ingredients with no notification. This has happened to me more than once. As a family, we don’t go out to pizza or ice cream, and if we visit a restaurant, we bring her own food because she can react to cross contamination, even from clean pans that have once contained an allergen.

How is Alexis doing now (August 2010)?

Although the severity of Alexis' life threatening food allergies, environmental allergies and chronic asthma have not changed, in fact her dairy allergy has worsened, she is a thriving and spectacular nine-year-old attending public school and living a normal life. She has an amazing spirit, and although at times she is frustrated with her condition, I do not allow her to dwell on it. Often I’ve told her to cry, get mad, let it out, but I won't allow her to be depressed. I tell her to focus on the positive. After all, it's not about what she can't eat but what she can! My philosophy is this: The world is full of dangers, including her allergens, and she needs to learn to live in the world and protect herself. I want her to go to college, travel, and get married. I want her to have a normal and happy life and it's my job as her parent to help her do that, starting now!

What advice would you give to other parents about raising a child with special needs?

It is our duty as parents to raise strong, healthy individuals capable of taking care of themselves. This being said, it is scary and hard as for any parent. Reach out to other food allergic parents, including myself, and know that at times it is okay to be sad and that you may need to lock yourself in the bathroom and cry. This is perfectly normal, but don't allow yourself to wallow in it. Pick yourself up and go hug your beautiful kiddo. You are the best parent they have, and you are their strongest advocate capable of making a difference. You are their parent for a reason –- parents of special-needs children are special themselves because they were chosen, hand-picked perfectly for that child to love, protect, and raise them. Be grateful, for you have received a blessing!

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