EIGHT-YEAR-OLD Ben Johnson is comfortable handling pythons and lizards. It's peanuts he has to be worried about.
Ben is anaphylactic and an allergic reaction to peanuts can kill him in 10 minutes if he doesn't have his EpiPen treatment or medical help.
His dad, Camden councillor Peter Johnson, will be run of a group of men who will run 22kilometres in the Sydney half-marathon in September to raise money for allergy research in Macarthur.
Cr Johnson will be joined by Ben's clinical immunologist Brad Frankum, Camden Mayor Chris Patterson, Sergeant Mick Holmes and NSW MLC Charlie Lynn on the run.
When asked what effect his allergy has on everyday life, Ben said: ``I barely get to eat anything and I'm not allowed to share any food.''
But Cr Johnson paints a more severe picture.
``A peanut butter sandwich is more dangerous to Ben than a brown snake,'' he said.
``The average person thinks all that will happen to Ben is that he'll swell up or something.
``They don't realise he could die in 10 minutes.
``He carries an EpiPen everywhere he goes because of the urgency.
``He doesn't have an hour to get to hospital like you do with a snake bite.
``You've got 10 minutes.''
The Johnson family are hoping that joint research by Campbelltown Hospital and the University of Western Sydney will lead to a cure or better medications to treat allergies.
Details, donations: Macarthur Lions Club, 46557116 or bernie_1@bigpond.net.au or PO Box 377, Camden, NSW 2570. Posted donations should make it clear that the funds are for allergy research.