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May 26, 2010
How a Stranger Saved My Sister's Life
Last week I received one of the scariest phone calls in my life. My sister called me from a cafeteria at her college to say that her mouth felt funny. I began to ask her questions about what she ate when she interrupted to say she felt her mouth swelling. She started to panic. She ran toward the parking lot to find her stash of antihistamine. I begged her to sit down and take out her EpiPen. All of a sudden, she started wheezing and coughing and couldn't speak. I heard a passerby ask her if she owned an inhaler. I started to yell as loud as I could.
The good Samaritan took my sister's phone and asked me how to administer the EpiPen. From memory, I guided the woman step by step to inject the epinephrine.
"One one-thousand, two one-thousand, three one-thousand..." I heard her counting, which overwhelmed me with gratefulness and relief: She saved my sister's life. I heard sirens approaching in the background.
This event highlights two important tips about food allergies and anaphylaxis:
- Teach family, friends and other people around your food-allergic child how to recognize anaphylaxis and administer epinephrine. Patients suffering from anaphylaxis may not be able to self-administer.
- Know how to use your child's epinephrine autoinjector by heart. You might have to help a friend, babysitter or other caregiver administer epinephrine over the phone in an emergency.
In this issue, you will find information about all four epinephrine autoinjectors, including the new generic autoinjector. Each device works differently, so it is very important to learn how to use the device your loved one has—it might save a life one day.
Warmly,
Melanie Carver
eNews Editor
P.S. After receiving additional medications in the emergency room, my sister fully recovered.
Shop Arbonne and Support KFA!
Jill Hornig, an independent consultant with Arbonne, will donate up to 75% of the profits from this special fundraiser for KFA! Arbonne specializes in beauty and wellness products that are hypoallergenic and certified vegan (which means they do not contain dairy or eggs). Click on Jill's website and click on "Shop Online" to purchase products from now until Sunday, June 20.
Want to know more? Jill will be hosting two live chats for registered KFA members to answer questions about ingredients, the products or the fundraiser:
Wednesday, May 26
1:00-2:00 p.m. Eastern
9:00-10:00 p.m. Eastern
For more details about this fundraiser, read the announcement on our support forums.
Get Involved with Food Allergy Advocacy
KFA is sharing an important message from the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network:
It is becoming more and more important for local, state, and national lawmakers to hear from the food allergy community on a variety of issues: educating restaurants on food allergies, helping schools and child care centers safely manage children with food allergies, making epinephrine more available from emergency medical technicians, and increasing funding for food allergy research, just to name a few.
You can help strengthen our advocacy efforts by signing up for FAAN's Action E-List. By signing up, you will receive periodic alerts and updates regarding advocacy efforts at the local, state and national level, along with strategies for how you can help pass new laws or regulations that will benefit the food allergy community.
For more information, call Christopher Weiss, vice president of advocacy and government relations at the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network: 703-563-3070 (direct) or email cweiss@foodallergy.org. You may also get more information by visiting FAAN's website at www.foodallergy.org
Food Allergy Resource Center
Each month, KFA provides new or updated food allergy articles to educate families, caregivers and the public about different topics regarding food allergies. Premium resources are available to KFA Family Members only.
Available to the Public
The free resources below are available to all website visitors:
Camping with Food Allergies Can be Safe and Fun
Carefree camping with food allergies: play it safe and prepare for a lifetime of lasting memories! Kids With Food Allergies offers you practical tips for planning a safe camping trip with your food-allergic children.
 12 Summer Camp Planning Tips
Jill Tipograph, author of Your Everything Summer Guide & Planner, offers tips on how to ensure your child has a successful and safe summer camp experience.
Summer Camp Checklist
Before sending your food-allergic or asthmatic child to a summer camp, follow these steps to ensure your child stays safe and has fun.
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A Message from Our Sponsor
Four Epinephrine Autoinjectors Available: Which One Do You Have?
There are now four epinephrine autoinjectors on the market - EpiPen, made by Dey LP, Twinject and Adrenaclick, made by Shionogi Pharma, and a generic epinephrine autoinjector made by Greenstone Pharmaceuticals, a division of Pfizer. Learn how to use the device you have as operating instructions vary by device. Also make sure that all of your child's caregivers and school staff can appropriately administer the autoinjector as well.
• Instructions on how to use EpiPen
• Instructions on how to use Twinject and Adrenaclick
• Instructions on how to use the new generic epinephrine autoinjector
Food Allergies Take a Toll on Families and Finances
"Grocery shopping can mean weekly trips to four or five health food stores and multiple Internet sites to find allergen-free cereals, baked goods and other products.
Diligent research is an everyday task."
Food Allergy Guidelines Needed: Overdiagnosis Common with Skin, Blood Testing
"Researchers say the lack of an accepted definition and evidence-based guidelines for diagnosing food allergies has hindered efforts to determine their prevalence and evaluate new treatments."
AAAAI: Increased Risk of Anaphylaxis Among Patients with Asthma
A new study shows the average number of new episodes of anaphylaxis among the general population is 21 per 100,000. That rate increases to 50 per 100,000 in asthma patients; and 65 per 100,000 among those with severe asthma.
Visit KFA's Allergy Buyer's Guide to find foods and products that cater to the food-allergic consumer. Please let our sponsors know that you found them through KFA!
Click on the banner to shop on the Kimster Foods website.
Bready® Home Baking Robot
Introducing Bready®, the first and only baking robot. No mixing, no mess, no scavenger hunt for ingredients, no contamination and no more "bricks" that taste like cardboard. It's not a bread machine...it's a fully automatic gluten-free bakery. See our demo video: www.mybready.com
HomeFree
Want to serve treats that are great tasting, allergy friendly and are wholesome? HomeFree award-winning allergy friendly cookies and coffeecakes are certified whole grain, kosher pareve and organic! Find them online and at stores, including Shaw's and many Whole Foods. www.homefreetreats.com
World Wise Grains
World Wise Grains is proud to introduce Arzu, a staple for the gluten-free/allergy-free pantry. In minutes have gluten-free, allergy-free hot cereal ready to start your day in a healthy way. See recipes and learn more at www.worldwisegrains.com
Sign up for a free Associate Membership to participate in our online support group forums.
New Gatorade Has Milk Protein
It is important to teach your children to always read labels of products they will consume, including bottled drinks and waters to make sure there are no allergens in them.
Close Call at a Restaurant
Items that appear to be harmless, like frozen slushies, can still be contaminated by being prepared on the same equipment with food allergens. Always ask questions before ordering food.
Food Alerts! Have you checked the Allergy Recall Alerts section at KFA recently? The following foods were recently recalled:
U.S. Allergy Recalls
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Rise 'N Roll Bakery Peanut Butter Spread (undeclared egg)
- Rise 'N Roll Gourmet Cookie Mixes (undeclared milk)
- Valu Time Brand Ranch Dressing (undeclared egg)
- Juanita's Brand Mexican Breads (undeclared milk, soy and wheat)
- Galant Food Chicken Puff and Beef Puff Products (undeclared egg, soy and yellow #5)
- BIGS Original Salted and Roasted Sunflower Seeds (undeclared milk)
- Baroody Imports Dried Apricots (undeclared sulfites)
- Nestlé Carnation Famous Fudge Kits (undeclared peanut)
Canadian Allergy Recalls
- Mrs. Dunster's Old Fashioned Ginger Snaps (undeclared milk)
Project Manager: Lynda Mitchell
Editor: Melanie Carver
Proofreaders: Jennifer Blanford, Melanie Croft, Elyse Hahne, Beth Puliti, Cristi Schwamb
Disclaimer:
This newsletter is provided to you as a member and subscriber benefit and your use of it is in accordance with our Web site's terms of service.
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Kids With Food Allergies, Inc. makes no representation, whatsoever, for the contents that may be contained in any of the sponsors or advertisers in this newsletter or the quality of any products, information, or other materials displayed, purchased or obtained by you as a result of an offer in connection with any advertisement.
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