Faith Friendly World

Michael and I learned of Faith's allergies over three years ago, and since have been asking the question, "Is it Faith Friendly"? This term has come to mean volumes to our family and our friends. When we ask the "Faith friendly" question it represents Milk & Egg Free products. I can't even begin to describe how little we found that lived up to the term "Faith Friendly".

Take a look in your pantry for a moment, and you will see how MANY products contain milk and eggs. Food allergies of all kinds can be fatal, and we've found over the past three years, that many sites that cater to informing the public. We have designed FaithFriendlyWorld.com to help educate and connect people with allergies, to sites that may be of service. Our mission is to physically go out in public and speak to people about food allergies. We raise funds for Allergy Awareness Programs, while teaching our daughter and others that this is a battle worth fighting.

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Our Story, The Anaphylactic Allergy Website

So why are we doing this Anaphylactic Allergy Podcast? The answer is simple. Our youngest daughter, Kylie, was diagnosed at 18 months of age with a potentially life-long anaphylactic allergy to peanuts. As you can imagine our world turned upside down. Everywhere we went we had to be proactive in protecting her.

Instead of rushing back to work as a TV producer and director, I found myself the mother of 2 toddlers: one with a food disability that made me feel like I was swimming upstream all the time. My poor husband had to hear about it every day - what new challenges and fears surrounded us.

I decided I'd have to be involved in everything she and her sister did; in charge of play date groups, supplying food at functions, food preparation for church camp, room parent and I even have a Girl Scout troop! You name it, I was right there by her side.

I invite more kids to come play at my house than most stay-at-home moms because I know my home is safe - especially with ME in charge! Did I want to be smothering my child to protect her? Heck no. Often I would say, please unvelcro yourselves from my legs and go have fun. Well, my daughters are both in elementary school, and no matter how challenging it gets being a parent we are very thankful for our sweet little girls.

My Background is in investigative producing and directing for advocacy/entertainment television programs…that is, before I had kids. I left the workforce to raise my kids full time. It wasn’t long before I got involved in local politics by being elected to the local Neighborhood Council. I attended meetings, sat on boards, chaired committees and did what ever else I could do to save my little corner of Los Angeles. I am drawn to issues like public safety, education and health because I am a MOM!

So when my husband said "you should do a podcast", I thought he was kidding! But then I realized all the roads in my life led me to this moment - a moment when we have the technology, time, equipment, knowledge, network of friends and connections, and of course my insatiable love of doing research.

With all this and the right subjects we could make a difference! We could have a show on life-threatening allergies. So, welcome to our Anaphylactic Allergy Podcast! It is mommy driven - need I say more! I have been successful at keeping my daughter out of the emergency room for 4 1/2 years, since that very first attack.

Have I been over the top? Oh, yeah, I learned that after just one bite it was up to me to be proactive and prepared 24/7. Now we have to be realistic because we don't live in a bubble, and we have had a handful of near misses, but I want to help others understand how they can protect their loved ones, especially the caregivers, partners, and the parents that can't be there all the time protecting their loved ones.

I hope you enjoy our podcasts. I will never claim to have all the answers or to be an expert on allergies, but I will ask the experts and bring the answers to you!

Yael Kozar   The Anaphylactic Allergy Website

Food Allergy Connection

My name is Denise Lewis, and my husband, Ron and I have a 16-year-old son with life-threatening food allergies to peanuts, tree nuts and shellfish, and he also has asthma. After two years of not knowing what was happening and not receiving a diagnosis or education about our son's conditions, we finally got the diagnosis of Asthma when he was 2-1/2. He'd been hospitalized twice by then and had also had 4 anaphylactic reactions to what we were fairly sure were peanuts.

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Someone Fed My Kid A Peanut at School

Well, last week we had our first problem at my son’s school. A child mother brought in brownies for a birthday celebration, and even though my son had his own safe cookies to enjoy, another child told him her brownie was safe, and she shared it with him. It did contain peanuts.

The good news was that he did not have an anaphylactic reaction. He got two bumps on his arm. However, I wouldn’t have known about the incident at all if my son hadn’t told me.
What could have happened?

His teacher expressed concern, but the whole thing makes me wonder if we are doing the right thing sending our child to a public school. I don’t think you could ask for a better school than this. It is wonderful.

BUT, they compromised Sam’s safety.

Would it be conscionable to compromise any child’s life? Would it be okay to bring in a poisonous snake if only one child in class could possibly be poisoned by it?
I have been criticized for drawing these parallels, but I challenge you to draw a better one.

My kid was okay this time. But what if there is an increased frequency of incidents in the future, because they know this peanut didn’t kill him? What if he starts getting repetitively accidentally exposed, because no one else in the classroom has to be supervised in this way?

Flat-out, letting an allergic child eat a dangerous food is an act of disregard for that child’s safety.

We have had problems with there being lentils in the room, as well. I just don’t get that they are very concerned about the reality of this stuff being unpredictable and dangerous for Sam.

I’m not an alarmist. I’m a mother striving for a safe learning environment for her child.

I wouldn’t take your child out to sit on the highway for story hour, so PLEASE do not feed my child peanuts. It is the same thing. It is life-threatening, inconsiderate, and unwise.

By Lesley Harmon from allergyware Blog

Not Everyone Outgrows A Milk Allergy

I am frequently asked what prompted me to start the website GoDairyFree.org. Do I have a food allergic child? No. Am I lactose intolerance? Not that I know of. Here is my story… I was born with a milk allergy, but the awareness of food allergies was practically nonexistent in the 70’s. I suffered with colic, sinus infections, breathing problems, and even had surgery to put tubes in my ears when I was 4 because of recurrent ear infections. My mother said she new I was allergic, but the doctors wouldn’t listen and did not test me. Once what I ate became my choice, and I was perfectly willing to stare down that glass of milk at the dinner table until it turned yellow, I didn’t eat dairy. It is funny how much more instinctual we are as kids. I hated milk, cheese, and cream. more.