Please help us spread the word about our Epi Near You New York program.... We hope you will help us save lives!Allergies come in all shapes and sizes ...
Just like allergy sufferers. And they are on the rise. For many people allergies can range from sniffling and sneezing to skin rashes to gastrointestinal issues. A certain percentage, however, have more than these uncomfortable symptoms to deal with. Anaphylaxis, a serious life-threatening reaction, causes approximately 1,500 deaths a year in the United States alone. Clearly, allergies are nothing to sneeze at!
Articles for Advocacy
SnackSafely.com: Your Guide to Allergy-Safe Foods
If necessity is the mother of invention, we can thank the Bloom family for bringing us SnackSafely.com. Their daughter is allergic to both eggs and peanuts, so to help her stay safe at school, Debra Bloom created a list of allergy-friendly snacks to give to the school and other parents. To the family’s surprise, in the first three months the site was downloaded by thousands of people and last year over a million visitors found the frequently updated list to be very helpful. Dave Bloom now provides content for the site full-time, which includes a blog on the latest research discoveries and treatment options. Please read the full article here.
Interview with Dave Bloom, founder of SnackSafely
By Kristen Stewart
May 1, 2018
When her daughter, who was allergic to both eggs and peanuts, started school in 2006, Debra Bloom created a list of allergy-friendly snacks to give to the school and other parents in an effort to prevent cross-contact in the classroom. She and her husband Dave thought they were making efforts to keep their daughter safe. Little did they realize they were in the early stages of starting SnackSafely.com, a site that last year had over a million unique visitors.
In Tragedy’s Wake, New York Preschool Staff Get Food Allergy Training
By: Nicole Smith
in Food Allergy News
Following the tragic death of Elijah Silvera, a 3-year-old who had an anaphylactic reaction at preschool, a comprehensive training program has begun in New York City in hopes that food allergy education will help to protect kids and prevent tragedies.
In November 2017, after the little boy’s death, the New York City Administration of Children’s Services (ACS) pledged to do more training in preschools and announced a new requirement that all child-care staff had to call 911 when a student has a medical emergency.
The national organization FARE (Food Allergy Research and Education) offered to get involved with the training. “FARE reached out to ACS in November, following the death of Elijah, offering food allergy training for workers who care for young children in the childcare setting,” said Carlea Bauman, vice president of education and community initiatives at FARE.
Advocates Lobby for NY Food Allergy Bills
The Allergy Advocacy Association and FARE received some nice publicity from AllergicLiving.com after our recent advocacy event in Albany on May 16. Read all about the various bills in front of the New York State legislature that we are hoping to pass in the very near future. Two proposals are in memory of children who have died as a result of food allergies.
From Preschool Allergy Policies to Auto-Injector Access
By: Allergic Living
in Food Allergy News
May 16, 2018
Advocates, including parents who have lost children to anaphylaxis, were in Albany, NY on May 16 to raise support to several food allergy related bills that are proposed for the New York Assembly and Senate in relation to food allergies.
The non-profit Food Allergy Research and Education (FARE) and the New York State group the Allergy Advocacy Association organized the day.