Noah loves Legos, Minecraft and Peanuts.
No, not those peanuts!
This cutie from Webster, NY took his gang of friends to the Peanuts movie to celebrate his seventh birthday. Along with his plush Charlie Brown, he took his epinephrine auto-injectors. That makes him the December winner to end our year-long #WhereInTheWorldIsMyEpinephrine campaign.
Noah is allergic to peanuts, tree nuts, wheat, egg, sesame, mustard and sunflower. His mom Michelle said he hopes to be a scientist when he grows up.
"We never leave home without his epinephrine," she said. "It's always close by in his backpack, no matter where we go."
Michelle and Noah will receive $400 worth of Certified asthma and allergy friendly™ products of their choosing.
The campaign, generously sponsored by Mylan Specialty LP, shows how you can be prepared for severe allergic reactions wherever you go. During 2015, families shared pictures showing themselves on the move with epinephrine close by. Kids With Food Allergies (KFA) selected winners each month.
"We are so grateful to Mylan for sponsoring this important public health awareness campaign," said Lynda Mitchell, Senior Vice President of the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA). KFA is a division of AAFA.
"Studies show that most people who die from severe allergic reactions died because epinephrine was not given at all, or it was given too late," she said. "The photos shared by our community and fans show that you can take epinephrine anywhere - mountain biking, traveling, skiing, shopping. You can always be prepared for an allergic emergency, no matter where you are."
The campaign was sparked because too few patients are carrying their epinephrine at all times.
Families need to take all symptoms of an allergic reaction seriously. Both mild and severe symptoms can lead to a serious allergic reaction called anaphylaxis (anna-fih-
You must be prepared and ready to treat anaphylaxis right away because it can cause death. Epinephrine is the medicine used to treat anaphylaxis.
The symptoms of anaphylaxis may occur quickly after having contact with an allergen such as food, insects or latex. Symptoms may include coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, vomiting, throat tightness, swelling and fainting.
Symptoms can rapidly worsen. You can’t predict how your child will react to a certain allergen from one time to the next.
Keep epinephrine with you at all times. You should not keep it in the car or leave it behind at home. KFA recommends that you always keep two epinephrine auto-injectors with you.
Know How to Use Epinephrine
Learn how to give your child epinephrine. Epinephrine is safe and comes in an easy-to-use device called an auto-injector. When you press it against your child’s outer thigh, it injects a single dose of medicine. Your child’s health care team will show you how to use it. You, in turn, can teach people who spend time with your child how to use it.
To learn more about epinephrine, see Everything You Need To Know About Epinephrine.
End-of-Year Tip from KFA
Do you have a medical spending account that ends on December 31? Or have you met all of your deductibles for the year? This may be a good week to refill prescriptions for epinephrine! Check to see what your plan says and make sure you are not leaving any benefits behind.
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