Actress Ali Bastian, her husband David O'Mahony and their two-and-a-half-year-old daughter Isla are the picture of happiness as they pose exclusively for HELLO!
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"She's awesome, sassy as hell and very strong-willed," Ali tells us of the little girl. "Isla really knows her own mind and she loves drawing, painting and dancing. She runs at life at 100 miles an hour and is just magic. She's amazing."
On the surface, life looks like it couldn't get any better for this adorable family of three. But the former Hollyoaks star tells how Isla's first few months were a rollercoaster, with the tiny girl suffering several serious food allergies at just a few weeks old.
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It led to her being rushed to hospital and even now it causes a great deal of anxiety for them as parents.
SEE: Ali Bastian shares never-before-seen wedding photos for anniversary
"We went through a lot as a family in the early days, and I think we've been processing what has happened for a long time," former Strictly Come Dancing contestant Ali says. "We haven't braved a restaurant with her yet, but we will do. I do find, socially, I say no to an awful lot, as everything has to go through a filter of, 'Is it safe? Is there anything she could come into contact with?'"
It was after welcoming Isla in March 2020, just before the first lockdown, that Ali noticed how their daughter struggled to settle.
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"She would be unsettled from lunchtime until about 1am," Ali recalls. "She would often end up vomiting all over me. But we were in lockdown and not really chatting to other families, so we didn't know what was normal and what wasn't."
When Isla was eight weeks old, she developed very bad eczema, which they found out can be a sign of allergies, and tests found she was allergic to dairy, eggs and peanuts.
"I was absolutely terrified. I was taught how to use an EpiPen. I came out with this 12-week-old baby with this diagnosis, and we were like: 'Oh my God, what the hell has happened?'"
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After a year, the conclusion was that Isla is allergic to milk, eggs, sesame, peanuts, cashews and pistachios, although recent tests have confirmed that she has grown out of her wheat allergy.
"I'd say the biggest challenge now is navigating parenting and letting Isla be a kid, while also watching her like a hawk and being super vigilant," says David. "She's so curious about the world and wants to experience everything… we have to let her fly a little bit, and marshal our anxiety."
To read the full article, pick up the latest issue of HELLO! on sale on Monday. Subscribe to HELLO! to get the magazine delivered free to your door every week or purchase the digital edition online via our Apple or Google apps.
