Mystery solved: Charlotte nurse helps kids through new book

Published 1:47 pm Saturday, July 26, 2025

As a registered nurse, Kerri Rundstrom deals with all kinds of sicknesses and sees firsthand the impact on patients and families. In her regular job, the Charlotte Court House resident also has to figure out ways of explaining things to patients, both young and old, going over details and helping people understand what’s happening. 

But one recent experience encouraged her to address a situation in a different way. As a nurse practitioner, Rundstrom has seen a surprising number of Alpha-Gal Syndrome cases in her clinic. 

“It is nothing for me to diagnose 5 or more cases of Alpha-Gal in a week,” Rundstrom said. “But what really lit the fire was a mom who came to me asking if I had anything to help explain it to her child. I started looking, and quickly realized there wasn’t much out there for kids at all.”

That’s when the wheels started turning. Rundstrom said she wanted to bridge the gap between diagnosis and understanding, to give kids a better idea of what this “Alpha Gal” is. And so, she came up with the idea to write a book. 

“Helping kids understand what’s going on in their bodies gives them power,” Rundstrom said. “It makes them feel included and supported. My hope is my book helps families to break down this diagnosis into something more digestible to little minds.” 

Max and the Moo Mystery 

Rundstrom’s efforts turned into “Max and the Moo Mystery: A Food Detective Story”. 

“It is a children’s picture book that helps explain Alpha-Gal Syndrome in a way kids can understand,” Rundstrom explains. “It follows Max, a curious little boy and his tick sidekick, Inspector Tock, as they solve the mystery of why Max keeps feeling sick after eating certain foods. It’s playful and fun, but also packed with actionable information. I even included a grown-up section in the back for parents and caregivers who are navigating this alongside their kids.”
So let’s sidetrack for a minute. What is Alpha Gal? Alpha‑Gal Syndrome is a tick‑induced allergy to red meat and mammalian products (e.g., dairy, gelatin), which can be hard for kids to understand. Rundstrom’s book fills a key gap by easily breaking down AGS for younger children. 

“Kids feel everything especially when they’re left out or confused,” Rundstrom said. “Alpha-Gal can completely flip a child’s world upside down. One day they’re eating their favorite foods, and the next, they’re being told “no” over and over. It can be isolating. Alpha-Gal is very complicated. It makes no sense to a child that because a tick bit them they are allergic to mammal products, which somehow includes marshmallows and gummy worms.”

Search for Charlotte author’s book

You can find the Charlotte County author’s book, Max and the Moo Mystery, on Amazon. Just type in the title and it’ll pop up. You can also visit alphagal4kids.com, which is a website Rundstrom has set up. The goal with the website, Rundstrom said, is to get more resources for parents and kids with alpha gal.