Cynthia’s daughter, Kate, was just 1 year old when she became covered in hives after eating fresh corn for the first time. Without a clear diagnosis of a food allergy, her parents avoided feeding her corn, not realizing it can also be found in many foods. Kate spent the first years of her childhood with mysterious rashes, nausea, upset stomach and severe abdominal pains every time she ate.
When she was 12, Kate almost died from an anaphylactic reaction to an injection containing dextrose, a sugar made from corn. It took three doses of epinephrine to save her life.
An appointment with an allergist confirmed Kate’s corn allergy. Her mother, Cynthia, was also told to remove peanuts, soy, oats and apples from Kate’s diet. She had no idea what she could feed her child.
Desperately, Cynthia looked to the internet for help, only to find information that frightened her even more. Corn was not only in many foods, but also in the environment – in bandage adhesives and more. Cynthia was afraid she would have to keep her child in a bubble.
But when she found Kids With Food Allergies, she knew she finally found a source of encouragement and reliable information that gave her hope.
“The first and biggest value is that KFA had medically-reviewed, scientific information that didn’t steer me wrong,” Cynthia says. “KFA taught me to push for a referral to a board-certified pediatric allergist who could challenge the foods that Kate had never reacted to: peanuts, soy and oats. One by one, each challenge gave us a little bit of our lives back. The recipes and the support helped me figure out how to cook again, and the handouts on anaphylaxis helped me explain why this was a big deal to family, friends and teachers.”
Every day, Cynthia’s family, and other families raising children with food allergies, rely on KFA to improve their children’s health and quality of life. This would not be possible without your generous help.
With the help of KFA’s resources, Kate is now an active, thriving teenager. She and her family know how to find and cook safe foods and how to react to a life-threatening allergic reaction. They also know how to work with Kate’s school staff and to advocate for her safety. For them, KFA’s resources have been life-changing and life-saving.
Your gift improves the lives of children with food allergies, as well as their families’ lives.
“KFA is a well-respected voice in the food allergy community, and they use that voice to bring awareness to the struggles that parents just like me go through every day,” Cynthia says. “With KFA, families don’t just survive with food allergies … they thrive!”
Your gift can save lives.
Please give generously so we can continue to work to educate, advocate and support research that will allow children with food allergies to have better health and quality of life. Until a cure is found, KFA provides the practical support that gets families through each day.
Comments (3)