FARE

🎃 Scares are fun, but Halloween can also be spooky for the wrong reasons—like worrying about allergic reactions or kids feeling left out. To make Halloween safe and inclusive, join FARE and the Teal Pumpkin Project! We’ve also teamed up with CVS Pharmacy to make it that much easier to find non-food treats. Now, we need your help. Tell us about your trick-or-treating experiences and what non-food treats you’d love to see. Together, we can make Halloween magical for everyone! Share your story here: https://lnkd.in/gYDhs7hr #TealPumpkinProject #Halloween #FoodAllergyAwareness

"My name is Rhyse, and I’m 10 years old. I had my first anaphylactic reaction when I was just 1 year old. Growing up with food allergies, I have realized the importance of using my voice to raise awareness about the disease, especially as a new school year begins. I will never forget one time at a farmer’s market when I ate some fresh cherries that had come into contact with one of my allergens. Before I knew it, I was having an anaphylactic allergic reaction. On our way to the emergency room, it was getting worse and harder for me to breathe. My mom pulled over to give me my EpiPen, but I was terrified. I knew I needed it, though, so I stabbed myself in the leg at just eight years old. I am so thankful my symptoms were gone in less than a minute! That experience reminds me why having a safe environment is so important—to try and prevent exposure to allergens but also to be prepared in case of a reaction. My school has epinephrine injectors in the office, and I have one in my desk. I have friends who will stick up for me, teachers who understand my disease, and my family to help communicate and have my back. Donors like you help FARE develop essential education and resources for schools, in addition to the critical advocacy work and scientific research to improve the lives of those with food allergies. And because of those resources, students like me are safer and ready for the school year ahead. Thank you for being a friend of FARE, and I hope you will support them today. They make a difference in lives like mine, and you make all they do possible." https://lnkd.in/ewyQJ4n

A huge milestone for Delaware and food allergy prevention! Governor John Carney has signed HB 274 into law, making Delaware the first state to provide free peanut and egg allergen supplements to infants, helping prevent the development of life-altering food allergies. This groundbreaking legislation, championed by Rep. Kimberly Williams and supported by FARE, sets a powerful example for the nation. Together, we’re taking steps to protect our children’s health and future. https://lnkd.in/defvnnuW #FoodAllergyPrevention #FoodAllergies

Food allergies impact the household shopping habits of more than 85 million people in the U.S. How can companies earn the trust and loyalty of this powerful group? In this spotlight interview, we unpack the experience of FARE PACT Alliance member That's it.

When considering the impact of food allergies, we often focus on food, but allergens can hide in unexpected places, such as toothpaste and medications. For 8-year-old Kale and his family, these hidden risks are a constant concern. Kale has multiple food allergies, which means he can't safely eat at a restaurant and at school, he sits at lunchtime at a table just for him. It also means that his family and his doctors need to know what is in medications that are being administered. But it isn't (yet) a requirement for ingredients of medications to be disclosed, and some medications, both branded and generic, use dairy ingredients. This issue became critically important when a common asthma inhaler was administered to Kale at a doctor's office, triggering a medical emergency. You see, unbeknownst to the doctor or the family, the medication that was provided contained dairy, one of Kale's allergens. Kale and his family are working to change things so that Kale can live in a safer world, working with FARE, alongside many other food allergy families to talk with legislators about why a measure like the IDINA Act, that would require ingredient disclosure in medications, matters in the daily lives of those managing the disease of food allergy. And FARE is working to change things so that all food allergy patients can live in a safer world, driving research, education, and advocacy on behalf of those living with this disease. Visit foodallergy.org to find out more ways to help and watch the story about this family's journey here: https://lnkd.in/gkDPe2iP #FoodAllergies #FoodAllergyAwareness

"My name is Maggi, I’m 27 years old and have had severe peanut and tree nut allergies since I was 2 and a half. My first reaction happened when I ate a cookie that had hazelnut residue on it. I’ve been so careful and lucky and have never had to use my epipen until August 2024. MY EPIPEN SAVED MY LIFE. I was eating out at a restaurant for my grandmothers birthday with my family, a restaurant that I had eaten at 2 times before. I made my waitress aware of my allergies multiple times and she let the kitchen know. Unfortunately the kitchen did not pay close enough attention to this allergy alert and I was given a “homemade veggie burger” with nuts in it. I took one bite and immediate my throat was itchy and started closing. I developed hives around my mouth and was breathing heavily. I took 2 Benadryl that I always carried with me in my bag and my sister (who is an EMT), administered my EpiPen. 911 was called and I was rushed to the hospital where I was given more epinephrine, more Benadryl, and Pepcid. I was monitored for 4 hours incase of a rebound reaction. Thankfully I was feeling better and was released. I wanted to share my story to remind everyone to always carry their epipens because had I not, I might not be here today." Submit your story for a chance to be featured on an upcoming #FARESundayStory: https://bit.ly/3WNio3g

Thank you to the incredible community for raising your voices and standing up for what's right. #foodallergyawareness #foodallergies

"I have not had a food allergy reaction since I was a child but it all changed in the summer of 2023. Just as I returned from a track workout as a collegiate athlete, I was hungry after burning so many calories. I wanted to have chicken and rice, so I decided to order a quick meal from my local restaurant that I had eaten at before. Nearly 20 minutes later, I knew something was not right. My stomach was hurting extremely bad, and my body was trying to expel the food I just ate. Then it became even more serious and at that moment I realized the food had been contaminated. My symptoms were increasing by the minute. I began to have a high temperature, wheezing, and my throat started to close, making it extremely hard to take a breath. This was the scariest moment in my life as my body was attacking itself from my peanut and tree nuts allergy. I was soon rushed to the hospital and made a slow recovery. Being someone who checks every label and asks about ingredients at restaurants shows that you never know what can happen. Living with this constant fear when I eat a meal is something I have and will deal with for the rest of my life. As I get older every year, I reflect on how having a food allergy has impacted my life. It has shaped my life in many ways. I used to only see the negative, but I now have accepted my allergies and learned from them. I plan to continue bringing awareness and education. Additionally, I strive to be a positive role model to younger children with food allergies. I want them to know their allergies don’t have to hold them back. We can all learn to live with our allergies by continuing normal activities safely. I want them to know it is okay to be different from everyone else, which took me a long time in my adolescent years to figure out. Food allergies don’t define who we are in the world, and they don’t have to limit us either." Submit your story for a chance to be featured on an upcoming #FARESundayStory: https://bit.ly/3WNio3g

"When I was four years old, a babysitter tried to give me a Snickers bar for dessert. I confidently told her “NO, I have a peanut allergy and I can’t eat that.” Twenty-two years and several life experiences later, my communication style surrounding my food allergies has evolved (& thankfully, gained some poise along the way), but my resolve to advocate for my own health and safety has remained the same. I’ve suffered from multiple anaphylactic food allergies from a super young age. Most fall into the “top 9” but I have a few less-common ones (potatoes, for example). As someone with a life-threatening medical condition but also the determination to live a “normal” lifestyle, I grew up feeling isolated in many social situations. From dinners with neighborhood friends and summer camps to later cheerleading competitions and sorority events, I always felt a certain sense of anxiety and deep concern that I knew no one else around me understood. As an adult, my occupation as a publicist in the travel industry has helped me evolve into someone who can navigate conferences, international travel, group dinners, and much more in a way that feels socially acceptable but also meets my needs. I’m very upfront about my allergies and I set clear boundaries for what I can and cannot do. That sense of anxiety and concern is still – and will always – be there, but it’s in my control when I have a clear understanding of all the factors that go into what I may or may not be eating. Recently, I started my social media platform “ALL YOU CAN’T EAT” (@alllyoucanteat) as a resource for the food allergy community that I wish I had five years ago as I entered my early twenties and began my career. I could have used a guide for how to communicate my needs clearly (especially in a professional setting) and what to do in different scenarios where my boundaries were tested! My goal is to inspire other young people with food allergies to see how much they can do, regardless of what they can’t eat. As I enter my late twenties and continue to see and experience more of the world, I’d love to bring others from the food allergy community along for the journey with me. ✈️" -Natalie Submit your story for a chance to be featured on an upcoming #FARESundayStory: https://bit.ly/3WNio3g

“We commend the FDA's decision to approve ARS Pharma's neffy, which offers the food allergy community a nasal-spray epinephrine delivery device,” said Sung Poblete, PhD, RN, CEO of FARE. “This needle-free breakthrough should make it easier for food allergy patients and those around them to administer epinephrine in the event of an anaphylactic reaction. Importantly, we believe that innovation of this nature should also make it easier to have epinephrine more broadly available for use in the event of an emergency—in police cruisers, at restaurants, in airplanes, at hotels, at amusement parks and in other areas where accidental exposures are possible. This is a win for the food allergy community." #fdaapproved #neffy #foodallergy