This will be our third year doing the Halloween Fairy and my family really enjoys it.  My boys still get dressed up and go door to door, but they know not to eat any of the candy.  When we return to the house, the boys cannot wait to see what the Halloween Fairy has left them.  When they enter the house, they drop their bags and find fun Halloween buckets filled with safe candy and non-food items.  The Fairy only visits homes of food allergic families.  Daddy then takes the other collection of candy and sets it out for his co-workers to enjoy.  My favorite part is putting the buckets together and seeing the smiles on their faces.  My kids could care less about the other candy leaving our house.

This year, the Halloween Fairy will be leaving them Peanut and Nut Free Chocolate from Canada, Dove Chocolate, Dum Dums and some fun toys.

To get more ideas that may work for you and your family check out this blog:
 Halloween Traditions for Families with Food Allergies. 

Have a very safe and HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

All across the U. S. there is an increasing number of states taking the initiative to introduce legislation regarding stocking schools with epinephrine. Unfortunately, some states are only giving their schools the option to stock EpiPens, as opposed to making it a requirement.  I strongly believe that there should be a mandate requiring all schools to stock epinephrine.  Schools have fire extinguishers, heart defibrillators and other security measures in place to protect our children.  They should also have life saving medication for someone experiencing a severe allergic reaction known as anaphylaxis. 

Food allergies are on the rise and are not going away any time soon.  A recent report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that food allergy prevalence increased from 3.4% in 1997–1999 to 5.1% in 2009–2011.  Food allergies are not the only thing that can trigger anaphylaxis.  Other common triggers also include insect bites or stings, latex and medication.  In September 2013, a third grader's life was saved after being stung by a wasp on recess.  The child didn't know that he was allergic and thankfully the school stocked auto-injectors for all students suffering a severe allergic reaction.  I could list great stories like this across the country and it is because they had epinephrine available.   

If a person is having an anaphylaxis reaction, unfortunately giving Benadryl and waiting for medical attention isn't an option.  When a person is suffering a severe allergic reaction, every second counts.  They must get epinephrine immediately and then seek proper medical attention.  If you wait to give epinephrine then there is a chance of losing a life.  Unfortunately, it has happened and will continue to if there's not immediate access to this life saving medication. 

Some people question whether schools can afford to stock schools with epinephrine auto-injectors.  Mylan L.P., the distributor and marketer of EpiPen® has a great program for schools called Epipens4Schools, which is a program designed to allow qualified schools to obtain EpiPen Auto-Injectors at no-cost.  I would be really surprised if more makers of other epinephrine auto-injectors didn't start their own programs for schools very soon.  There really isn't any reason for not having this available in every school.  Financial reasons shouldn't be a deciding factor.  Do we really need another innocent child to die at school because they didn't have access to epinephrine? .

My child has life threatening food allergies and will always have two auto-injectors with him at all times, but the CDC reports that 25% of anaphylaxis reactions in schools occur among students without a previous food allergy diagnosis.  So these children may have always had these allergies and didn't know or they just develop them out of nowhere.  And for these kids an auto-injector wouldn't be available.  Our kids spend over eight hours a day at school and they should be safe and protected.  A recent report by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) shows that anaphylaxis is more common than we think.  The report showed that anaphylaxis occurs in nearly 1-in-50 Americans.   

I don't know the ins and outs of the entire legislation process, but I am a mother of a child with a food allergy and I know how important it is for every child to have access to epinephrine.  I have read too many tragic stories and I have met parents that have lost a child.  We have life saving medicine that can prevent these kinds of tragedies from happening and we must do everything we can to keep all of the children out there safe. 

If you haven't contacted your representative in your area then please do so.  One person can make a difference and there are so many resources out there that make this process so easy for you. 

To see how you can help, please check out the following resources:

Mylan Specialty L.P. has introduced a new resource for dinning out with food allergies.  This new initiative is part of Get Schooled in Anaphylaxis. By going on the new section of the site, called “Dining with Severe Allergies”, you can find tip sheets, guides and travel-sized cards with advice on how to read food labels, food substitution suggestions, allergy-friendly recipes and grocery shopping tips.

There is also an interactive educational game called Supermarket Search.  This is a great game to do with your child and they can learn the importance of checking ingredient lists, even when cooking at home. Users select a character and then “shop” for ingredients needed to complete a delicious, allergy-friendly recipe. This is something that can be both entertaining and educational for your children.  You can even print the recipe when finished.

Get Schooled in Anaphylaxis™ and Get Schooled in Anaphylaxis Challenge™ are sponsored by and  trademarks of Mylan Specialty L.P. © 2013. All rights reserved. PAC13-0098

Enter today for your chance to win a $20.00 gift certificate to Peanut Free Planet.  Contest starts on October 18, 2013 and ends October 31, 2013.  A lucky winner will be selected on November 1, 2013.  Please enter below and see No Nuts Giveaway official rules via rafflecopter.com.

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