A healthcare recruiter who struggles with severe food allergies continues to go viral after sharing the truth behind her health history.
Caroline Cray, 24, broke her silence about her battle with mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS). a TikTok video from March which has currently racked up over 2 million views.
According to PEOPLECray developed allergies to peanuts, tree nuts, sesame, mustard, kiri, seafood and various fruits when she was two years old.
The Massachusetts resident was eventually diagnosed with MCAS in May 2018 and can now only eat oats and hypoallergenic formula.
“It’s kind of taken over my life for the last few years — the last seven years,” she said in her first viral video. Cray continues to discuss MCAS on her TikTok @carolinecray2, and other TikTokers have praised the healthcare recruiter for her positive attitude.
Caroline Cray, 24, first became a viral TikTok user in March 2024 after first discussing her battle with mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS) in a video
Cray was diagnosed with MCAS in 2018 after suffering from multiple food allergies since the age of two. She can now only eat oats and hypoallergenic formula
Cray doesn’t remember what her first hospitalization was like at age two, but she confirmed to PEOPLE that she outgrew most of her allergies over the next five to 10 years.
However, things took a drastic turn when she turned 18 and attended her first week of college in 2017.
She took two bites of an ice cream sandwich she ordered from a truck and almost immediately suffered what she assumed was an anaphylactic reaction.
“I felt like all the blood was rushing out of my head and I had super tunnel vision,” Cray told PEOPLE earlier this month.
She subsequently suffered multiple allergic reactions and was even placed in the intensive care unit at Boston Children’s Hospital in September 2017.
Cray’s health continued to decline and she left her dorm and became a commuter.
Doctors at Brigham and Women’s Hospital eventually diagnosed Cray with MCAS – a disease that repeatedly causes severe allergic symptoms.
‘A few years ago I could eat almost all foods except the major allergens, such as peanuts, tree nuts, mustard and sesame. But the last few years have been really hard,” she said.
She revealed that she had overcome most of her allergies until 2017 after she had an allergic reaction to an ice cream sandwich
Cray continued to have reactions and after she was formally diagnosed with MCAS by doctors, she moved back home and started food trials
Cray went into more detail about the disease a TikTok video she posted on April 29 in response to a comment from another TikToker.
‘Food is a huge trigger for me. For some people, chemicals or cleaning products are their biggest sensitivities,” she said.
“But for me it’s food, and I’ve had so many allergic reactions to so many foods over the years.”
The health recruiter added that the reason why she only eats foods with oats and a hypoallergenic formula is because they didn’t cause her to have an allergic reaction.
The healthcare recruiter added that the reason she can only eat oats and a hypoallergenic formula is because they haven’t caused her to have an allergic reaction.
“I’m sure I can eat something else… But the thing is, I’ve probably tried a dozen things over the years, and the only things that have worked are oatmeal and a hypoallergenic formula,” she continued.
Cray told PEOPLE that her formula tastes like milk or a vanilla protein shake and contains 57 grams of protein, 91 grams of fat and 100 grams of carbohydrates.
‘The only thing it’s a little bit lacking in is sodium. So I’ll just supplement that. I just add salt to things,” Cray said.
Cray, who is now a college graduate and healthcare recruiter, revealed in another TikTok video that oats and hypoallergenic formulas are the only two things she can eat without having a reaction
Cray successfully completed her freshman year of college virtually and was able to move into an apartment on her college campus for her senior year.
However, she decided to give up her “food trials” so she could do just that.
“I knew that if I tried foods, I would have to be home a lot and I would be more symptomatic,” she explained in her April 29 video.
“I decided to sacrifice my food progress so I could go to school…Honestly, I’m so glad I did because it was a great year.”
Cray is now working with a naturopathic doctor who is helping her reintroduce more foods into her diet.
She also tells TikTokers that while they may not like her diet, it allows her to live.
“The diet I’ve been on has allowed me to complete my studies, make new friends, make so many memories, and I’m so grateful for that,” Cray said.