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Victoria is age 6 with asthma and is severely allergic to peanuts and all peanut products. Any ingestion of a peanut will clamp her breathing off. She would need emergent care and a shot of epinephrine within seconds. As a family we avoid all nut products. She has started first grade and I am doing my best to educate the community and schools on how to prevent and be aware of food allergies. It is vital to recognize when a person shows signs of anaphyllactic shock from a food allergen. She is among several other children in her school with food allergies and I am taking this all the way to our law makers to keep Victoria and others safe at school. It is my life long dedication to her. I want to prevent other kids from a reaction as well. There is research for an immunization-like medication but is still far and much support is needed to continue and advance further. Please, visit foodallergy.org for more information.
When my daughter is out of my sight... the school and community are my eyes and ears for the protection of her. I know parents may send their child to school with a peanut butter and jelly sandwhich and think nothing can harm a child. I can not prevent a sandwhich from being next to her at all times but I can get help to her if all people know what to do when you see her gasping for air. It is the vigilant person around her that will not hesitate to act fast and give her a shot of epi effectively then call 911.
Please, help and learn to save a life... it only takes one bite from an allergen to cross contaminate or even touch her skin. She would not know if a child accidently drank from her straw just after eating a peanut. Maybe, the reaction would be delayed and happen in the classroom hours later. Do you know what to look for? Do you know how to give an emergency shot?
Additional:
I am Cynthia Salvador mother of two. My 6-year-old daughter is Victoria Salvador. She is an asthmatic and has a life-threatening allergy to peanuts since toddler hood. On three separate occasions she had 3 different allergic reactions. First, at age one she ate a raisin tainted with peanut oil from trail mix and suddenly had swelling of the lips. Second, a family member ate peanuts then moved Victoria’s hair away from her eyes and began to show facial swelling. It was not until a third incident her symptoms worsened. During a child’s party somehow she touched or ate a suspected food of nut ingredients. This caused her to cough sporadically and develop hives all over her body. A common antihistamine helped until she arrived at the hospital. She was treated in the emergency department with a breathing medication and steroids to keep her body from clamping down in prevention of a delayed or secondary reaction. The emergency physician at the time strongly advised that the next time she would definitely need epinephrine to save her life. I remember the physician saying, “Do not hesitate to use epinephrine because the next time she will most likely stop breathing.”
My family and I are extremely pleased by the recent passage of the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Management Act 2007 by the House of Representatives. I am writing to ask that you strongly support the companion legislation in the Senate, S.1232, introduced by Senator Christopher Dodd.
An estimated 2.2 million school-age children suffer from food allergies, for which there is no cure. Avoiding any and all products with allergy-causing ingredients is the only way to prevent potentially life-threatening reactions. Reactions often occur at school, including severe anaphylaxis, which can kill within minutes unless epinephrine (adrenaline) is administered. Deaths from anaphylaxis are strongly associated with delays in the administration of epinephrine.
The importance of managing life-threatening food allergies in the school setting has been recognized by: the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the National Association of School Nurses, the National Association of Elementary School Principals, the National School Boards Association, the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, and the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology.
Unfortunately, there are no consistent, standardized guidelines to help schools safely manage students with the disease. S.1232 would require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to develop and make available a voluntary policy to manage the risk of food allergy and anaphylaxis in schools. Passage of S.1232 is critically important to ensure the safety of my child and the other 2.2 million food-allergic school-age children across the country. Please, research about the bill and work for its passage.
Food allergies and legislative action will help. Please, help me in my commitment to lead the community in food allergy awareness. You may Google information about the Bill S. 1232. If you or anyone else with a food allergy needs information, contact me or foodallergy.org and medicalert.org. Any knowledge and support helps in all ways. Give and know what you can. Thank you for your time.
Blessings,
Cindi, Victoria, and Family
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