Food Allergy E-Magazine 2012 Summer Issue

Food Allergy E-Magazine

In This Issue

Introducing Walk Chair

Featured Article

Donate Auction Items

Article Headline

Mercy Medical Airlift

Delta Airlines

Medical News

Education News

Policy News

Calendar

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Introducing:

Brandi Stewart, 2013 AFAA Awareness Walk Chairperson

The 2013 Food Allergy Awareness Walk Committee begins meeting Sunday, Aug. 5th.

Volunteers are asked to join the planning committee.

Brandi Stewart with her daughters, Tatum and Arianna at 2012 Walk.

The first monthly planning session begins at 4 p.m. Aug. 5 at Caribou Coffee near the intersection of I-694 and Rice St. in Little Canada. 2013 marks the 5-year anniversary of the charity event, which has grown each year.

"My goal is to get 500 walkers and 50 teams," said Stewart, who served two previous years at the event registration table.

"We were in the 400's last year so I think that's an attainable goal."

Stewart,a bank manager and the parent of a 4-year-old daughter who is allergic to eggs, dairy, peanuts and rye, joined the organization after meeting AFAA Co-founder Nona Narvaez at the bank.

Stewart says she is really excited to take on the role of Walk Chair. She looks forward to filling the open committee positions and urges anyone interested to call her at (651) 235-1190.

Some volunteer areas available are:

Sponsorship Assistant
IT Assistant
Logistics
Team Recruitment
Registration
Public Relations
Volunteer Coordinator
Entertainment
Social Media
Advertising
Meeting Scribe
Photographer
Videographer

New AFAA board member led 2012 Awareness Walk, then kept walking - down the aisle!

Becki and Mark Reiling

Becki Bergstrom will always remember March 24, 2012, when she was chairperson for the 4th annual Food Allergy Awareness Walk. But she didn't stop walking after the morning event. Later that day, Bergstrom kept on walking...... down the aisle to wed Mark Reiling.

The 2012 Food Allergy Awareness Walk was scheduled on the same day and at the same loction as her wedding to Mark Reiling - Mall of America.

Her morning was spent orchestrating dozens of volunteers and more than 400 participants who walked the mall corridors to raise financial support for AFAA programs. There were also booths, snacks and live entertainment.

"Someone tipped off the Teddy Bear Band and they played "Going to the Chapel," said the newlywed, who now goes by the name Becki Reiling.

After wrapping the AFAA event in Macy's Court, she switched into bridal mode and celebrated her nuptuals at the Chapel of Love, followed by a reception at Kokomo's.

By comparison, the walk took more time to plan than her wedding and required many more helpers.

"It takes more than you think for the 1-day event. It helped to break it into little steps that are manageable, so we didn't get too overwhelmed," she said.

Recently, Reiling accepted a new leadership role serving on the AFAA Board of Directors. She is passing the torch to the 2013 Walk Chairperson Brandi Steward of Lino Lakes.

"Brandi is already married so she can skip the wedding step next year," quipped Reiling.

REGISTRATION NOW OPEN!

Food Allergy Conference & Expo scheduled for September 22nd

AFAA's 9th annual Food Allergy Conference & Expo will feature presentations on school management, food safety, and medical conditions (IgE-mediated food allergies, celiac disease, eosinophilic disorders, FPIES).

It will also feature networking opportunities and exhibitors. Early Bird registration is only $35. CEUs are also available for an additional $50, and House of Worship (HOW) food safety training for $35 (both Early Bird rates).

Click here to register at Early Bird rates.

The event will be held at the Wilder Center at the intersection of Lexington and University Avenues in St. Paul (451 Lexington Parkway North) from 8 a.m.-noon.

Additional volunteers are welcome to help prepare for the conference (from now until the event) and event-day volunteers welcome also!

News Briefs

USA is largest allergy product market

The United States represent the largest market for food allergy and intolerance products globally. Read more ...

Nona Narvaez

Narvaez appointed to national post

AFAA co-founder Nona Narvaez was appointed to the Conference for Food Protection Committee (CFP) on Standardized Data Collection/Electronic Reporting of Inspections. Narvaez represents AFAA and two national food allergy organizations (FAI and FAAN) as a member of the CFP. CFP is the policy organization that influences FDA and USDA regulations.

Watch out for

hidden eggs

An egg by any other name is still an egg and should be avoided by those allergic to them, says a food analyst. Read more...

Allergy vaccine discovered by Finnish scientists

Scientists at the University of Eastern Finland say they've discovered unique IgE-binding structures in allergens that can be genetically modified so they do not bind IgE anymore, but they can still induce the production of the immunoglobulin G (IgG). IgG protects you from allergic symptoms. The modified allergens are produced using modern molecular biology and biotechnology.

Happy 10th Anniversary AFAA!

www.foodallergyfun.com

Celebrate AFAA's

10th Anniversary Year

with this chocolate cake recipe from an AFAA board member:

*Flour - 2 cups

*Sugar - 2 cups

*Baking Soda - 1 tsp.

*Salt - 1/2 tsp.

*Safe margarine or Crisco - 1 cup

*Water - 1+1/4 cup
*Cocoa powder - 1/3 cup
*Ener-G egg Replacer powder - 1 tablespoon
*Liquid product of your choice (soymilk, rice milk, cow's milk, water, etc.) - 1/2 cup
*Vanilla - 1+1/2 tsps.

Grease & lightly flour baking pans (two 8" or 9" or 1 long pan). Stir together dry ingredients except for cocoa powder.

On stove, in a saucepan combine margarine-type product, one cup water, and cocoa. Heat and stir constantly until it begins boiling. Remove from heat and add to dry ingredients.

Mix until just combined, then add remaining water, liquid product of choice, and vanilla. Stir briefly. (Batter will be thin.)

Pour into pan(s). Bake at 350 degrees for 25-35 minutes. Makes 12-15 servings.

Volunteer at

the State Fair

Aug. 23 through Labor Day, Sept. 3

Volunteers shifts now open for the AFAA booth at the Minnesota State Fair! Volunteers receive free admission plus a free teeshirt.

Prime shifts fill quickly: see chart of openings, and sign up for a shift or two, or three and enjoy the fair!

Donate Items to 6th annual Silent Auction

Do you have items to donate to the December Silent Auction & Benefit Concert? AFAA will gladly accept them!

Volunteers are also gladly accepted to help plan the event!

To donate or volunteer, call Gretchen at (651) 646-0367

DONATE
to
AFAA

Summer Issue

August/2012

Summer: Baseball, Camping, Parades & State Fair

How AFAA families spent

their summer vacations

Mom, baseball and [peanut-free] apple pie!

AFAA board members and 14 volunteers partnered with the St. Paul Saints to plan a peanut-free baseball experience on Mother's Day and again on July 5th. Families in attendance offered enthusiastic feedback for both games and gratitude for a safe baseball experience.

Saints representative Chuck Richards said "We greatly enjoyed hosting the games this season. It was a ton of fun, and we hope to see a great attendance in 2013."

(Clockwise) Little Peanut Maija Atkinson held by new friend, Mudonna - the Saints' mascot. Another girl had a pigtacular view of the field. AFAA volunteers participated in between-innings activities such as the tire race. (Upper right photo courtesy of Collin Burke, Saints intern)

The Minnesota Twins offered peanut-safe sections for a record-breaking 10 games this season, and continues to be a model to other Major League Baseball teams across the country in how to offer a safe baseball experience to food allergic fans. News articles about the AFAA-Twins partnership furthered awareness about food allergies and the accommodations that sports teams can make.

Mike and Kim Dosan with their children Kyle, Matt, and Madison celebrated Matt's 9th birthday in the Twins peanut-safe section.

AFAA Summer Camp Rocks!

Campers enjoyed summer days and nights filled with indoor and outdoor activities in an allergy-free environment June 9-10 at Voyageur Environmental Center in Mound.

More photos can be viewed HERE.

Independence Day Parade

For 10 years AFAA families have marched in St. Paul's 4th of July parade - a relaxed, small-town style, food free parade that ends at Langford Park and an afternoon of kid activities, music, and optional picnicking. Joining the long tradition of wearing costumes in this parade, the AFAA unit donned costumes of common allergens - some which State Fair mascot Fairchild (on far right) found appetizing!

AFAA at the State Fair

Still to come ... Minnesota's Great Get-together

Finish off your summer experiences with a trip to the state fairgrounds in St. Paul. Volunteer to take a shift at the AFAA booth and get admission to the fair FREE!

Volunteers are essential to the success of the AFAA Food Allergy Booth at the MN State Fair, contributing 3,600 hours of time to run it smoothly.

On a mission of mercy

Mercy Medical Airlift delivers precious Minnesota cargo to NYC drug trial

Max Narvaez, who is severely allergic to tree nuts, was fortunate to qualify for a food allergy drug trial led by Dr. Xiu-Min Li, but unfortunately, getting to Mt. Sinai School of Medicine in Manhattan, N.Y. proved to be a challenge for the single-income Minnesota family which has two sons with multiple medical issues.

Thanks to Mercy Medical Airlift, a flight operations organization in Virginia, Max was able to participate in the first week of the trials after the organization granted him and his mother complimentary travel on a commercial airline to NYC.

"We are so grateful that Mercy Medical Airlift helped us get Max to the clinical trial," said his parents. "We could not have afforded to participate in the clinical trial without their assistance." Max is simply thrilled to be helping to find a cure for food allergies.

The charitable flights began during the 1970's when four pilots bought a plane together and wanted to help transport those in need of specialized medical care, according to Suzanne Rhodes, MMA public affairs director. It was incorporated in 1987 and now partners with Delta and United airlines, and US Airways (the latter provided the flights to Max and his mother). Private airplanes and pilots also provide "angel flights" for those too seriously injured to fly commercially.

During the 2011 calendar year, programs administered by Mercy Medical Airlift provided service to more than 23,490 clients with a public benefit in excess of $3,994,436.

"It's just great to provide this service so people have access to the care they need. We rely on donations from individuals, business groups, churches and grants," Rhodes said.

Mercy Medical Airlift is in serious need of frequent flier donations: in fact, the organization will not be able to help Max with transportation to his August medical appointment. To learn more about how you can donate frequent flyer miles to MMA, click here.

This is part 2 in a series of articles about participating in a clinical trial for FAHF (food allergy herbal formula) - one of the most promising avenues of research currently being conducted. Click on this link for Part 1 in the series.

AFAA's advocacy result of new airline snack policy?

Peanut-free Delta flights

available by request

Delta recently updated its peanut snack policy and agrees not to serve peanuts on flights when a passenger with a peanut allergy alerts the airline in advance. The new policy was effective on flights beginning June 1, 2012.

"As of that date, we will no longer serve peanuts on any flight where a customer discloses a peanut allergy to us. We cannot, however, guarantee a peanut-free flight," wrote Morgan Durrant, manager of corporate communications for Delta Airlines, in a July 16 email.

In 2010 AFAA provided over 2,000 responses from passengers to the U.S. Department of Transportation and to Members of Congress and to Minnesota Legislators, and held a press conference at the Minneapolis-St. Paul airport to highlight the dangers to food allergic airline passengers. It appears AFAA's advocacy work paid off!

Here's what Delta posted on its website:

When you notify us that you have a peanut allergy, we'll refrain from serving peanuts and peanut products onboard your flight. We'll also advise cabin service to board additional non-peanut snacks, which will allow our flight attendants to serve these snack items to everyone within this area.

Gate agents will be notified in case you'd like to pre-board and cleanse the immediate seating area. We'll do everything we can, but unfortunately we still can't guarantee that the flight will be completely peanut-free.

Medical

World Breastfeeding Week: Questions about food allergies

The first week of August is World Breastfeeding Week. Mothers concerned about food allergies frequently worry about their own diet while breastfeeding, and this article answers some of these common questions.

Abstract: Fall births linked to food allergies

Fall birth is associated with increased risk of food allergy, and this risk is greatest among those most likely to have seasonal variation in vitamin D during infancy (Caucasians) and those at risk for skin barrier dysfunction (subjects with a history of eczema), suggesting that vitamin D and the skin barrier may be implicated in seasonal associations with food allergy, according to research in the European Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. Read more ...

Abstract: Travelling abroad with nut allergies

A first-of-its-kind study investigated the experiences of peanut and tree nut allergic individuals when travelling abroad and the strategies they used to avoid a reaction. Read more ...

Abstract: Comparing natural to recombinant proteins

Researchers believe they have new clues regarding peanut allergies that may lead to more accurate diagnosis. Read more ...

Education

Reminder: MN Epinephrine law requires immediate access

Since 2004, Minnesota law requires that schools provide immediate access to epinephrine for severely allergic school children at all times - whether in class, at assemblies, on the playground or on a field trip. The law also requires staff be trained to recognize and treat anaphylaxis. The law provides that school accommodations may be a part of a student's 504 plan (students at risk of anaphylaxis are eligible for 504 plans).

Implementation of national Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Management Act (FAAMA) begins

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) launched a pilot program in a Las Vegas district until May 2013, and hopes to expand FAAMA's provisions to 10 additional school districts the following year. AFAA has been evaluating whether MN law conforms to FAAMA because state laws that conform may be eligible for federal grants to state agencies. For more details about FAAMA, read this Allergic Living article.

Back-Up (stock) unprescribed epinephrine bill gains support in Congress

Earlier this year Minnesota's Senators (Amy Klobuchar and Al Frankin) joined 36 other Senators in supporting a bill (S.1884) that would require that U.S. schools stock epinephrine autoinjectors for those that don't have prescriptions or can't access their autoinjectors quickly. The companion bill in the House of Representatives (H.R. 3627) has 81 co-authors. Click here for a directory of Congressional Representatives listed by state if you would like to share your views of the legislation with them.

Amarria's Law named for Virginia student who died

A new law became effective in all Virginia public schools that requires schools to keep epinephrine injections on hand. It's named for Amarria Johnson, a first-grader at Hopkins Elementary School in Chesterfield, who died after going into anaphylactic shock at school on Jan. 2, 2012.