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I developed an uncommon disease from my allergies that's taken over my life - for the last five years, I've only been able to eat two kinds of food
A health-care recruiter who battles severe food allergies is continuing 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) in a March TikTok video that currently has garnered more than 2 million views.
According to PEOPLE, Cray developed peanut, nut, sesame, mustard, kiri, seafood and various fruit allergies when she was two years old.
The Massachusetts native was eventually diagnosed with MCAS in May 2018, and she can now only eat oats and a hypoallergenic formula.
'It's kind of been taking over my life for the last couple of years - 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 she first discussed her battle with mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS) in a video
Cray was diagnosed with MCAS in 2018 after having suffered from multiple food allergies since she was two years old. She can now only eat oats and hypoallergenic formula
Cray cannot recall what her first hospitalization was like at age two, but she did confirm to PEOPLE that she outgrew most of her allergies over the next 5 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.
'It felt like all the blood was rushing out of my head, and I got super tunnel vision,' Cray told PEOPLE earlier this month.
She suffered multiple allergic reactions afterward and was even placed in the intensive care unit at Boston's Children's Hospital in September 2017.
Cray's health continued to worsen, and she moved out of her college dorm and became a commuter.
Doctors at Brigham and Women's Hospital eventually diagnosed Cray with MCAS - a disease that repeatedly causes severe allergy symptoms.
'A few years ago, I was able to eat basically all foods except for those main allergens, like peanuts, tree nuts, mustard, and sesame. But the last few years, it's been really, really difficult,' she said.
She revealed that she had gotten over most of her allergies until 2017 after she suffered an allergic reaction from an ice cream sandwich
Cray continued to have reactions and after she was formally diagnosed with MCAS by doctors, she moved back home and began food trials
Cray went into more detail about the disease in a TikTok video she posted on April 29 in response to a comment made by another TikToker.
'Food is a huge trigger for me. For some people, their biggest sensitivities are chemicals or cleaning products,' she said.
'But for me, it's food, and I've had so many allergic reactions to so many foods over the past few years.'
The health recruiter added that the reason why she only eats foods with oats and a hypoallergenic formula is because they have not caused her to have an allergic reaction.
The healthcare recruiter added that the reason why she can only eat oats and a hypoallergenic formula is because they have not caused her to have an allergic reaction.
'I'm sure there is something else that I could eat... But the point is that over the last few years, I have probably tried a dozen things, and the only things that have worked have been oatmeal and hypoallergenic formula,' she continued.
Cray told PEOPLE that her formula tastes like milk or a vanilla protein shake and that it contains 57 grams of protein, 91 grams of fat, and 100 grams of carbohydrates.
'The only thing that it's a bit deficient in is sodium. So I just supplement that. I just add salt to things,' Cray said.
Cray, who is now a college graduate and a healthcare recruiter, revealed in another TikTok video that oats and hypoallergenic formula are the only two things that she can eat without having a reaction
Cray successfully finished her junior 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 that she could do so.
'I knew if I food trialed, I would have to be home a lot and that I would be more symptomatic,' she explained in her April 29 video.
'I decided to sacrifice the progress of food so that I could be at school... Honestly, I'm so happy 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 is also telling TikTokers that although they may not like her diet, it allows her to live.
'With the diet that I've been on, I've been able to finish college, make new friends, make so many memories, and I'm so grateful for that,' said Cray.