By: Amanda Painter
Most individuals and families managing food allergies know the great need to raise awareness about food allergies. Thankfully Governor Haslam, as well as local city and county officials recognize this need too; motivating them to sign proclamations declaring May 11th-17th Food Allergy Awareness Week.
The goal for The Food Allergy Community of East Tennessee (FACET) and many individuals with food allergies this week is to help spread awareness about food allergies to our community.
There is an important reason why the general public should acknowledge food allergies. 15 million reasons actually. That is how many Americans have a food allergy, and 6 million of those are children. There is no cure and the prevalence of this life-threatening condition is continuing to increase. It should be a concern
to everyone.
How can you help those managing food allergies?
· Show compassion and teach your child to do the same. Children with food allergies long to be included.
Find a way to safely include a child in a birthday party or play date.
· Ask questions. Someone with food allergies will most likely be happy to share their story.
Find out what challenges they deal with in their daily food allergy management. Simply listening will likely spark small ways you can support this person.
· Learn how to respond to an emergency. Do you know how to use an epinephrine auto-injector? It’s actually very simple, and designed to be easy to use in an emergency.
How can you learn more about food allergies?
There are many ways to learn more about food allergies through FACET. Visit our website or follow us on social media. Schedule a Prevention and Preparedness Training session for your group or organization. Attend our WellAware! Event focusing on food allergy wellness and awareness.
What will being more aware accomplish?
You can help a child feel safe and more secure. You can lessen the anxiety that a parent lives with everyday. You can be the person to help prevent a life-threatening reaction for someone. You can be prepared to respond if a reaction does happen, and possibly save a life.
Be a part of a caring community and educate yourself about food allergies!
For more information on food allergies visit www.JoinFACET.weebly.com.