Rainbows for Mia

In the last week or two, two different children have died from anaphylactic reactions due to food allergies. This is so sad and tragic. I have a child who has a severe reaction to peanuts. If you don't have allergies, it can be hard to grasp how stressful it is. When I was a kid everyone ate peanut butter and jelly and no one died from it, but today things are different! The number of people with food allergies is growing at an alarming rate there are a few theories on what MIGHT be contributing, but no one really knows the answer yet. One of the children who died was Mia, her favorite color was "rainbow". The rainbow pic is in memory of this 12 year old girl who died senselessly over something she ate. Here is an article providing more information:
http://www.thespec.com/news/local/article/904427--allergy-deaths-offer-lessons-doctors-say

This other story is equally as tragic, 19 year old boy ate a cookie he believed did not contain nuts, but it did. He had an anaphylactic reaction. The epipen he had was expired and the EMS workers told his mother not to use the pen. That was really bad advice. The boy tragically passed away. Here is an article with more info on his story:
http://www.peanutallergy.com/news/peanut-allergy-news/teen-with-nut-allergy-dies-after-eating-cookie?utm_source=iContact&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=PeanutAllergy.com&utm_content=Peanut+Allergy+7+New+Template

I would also like to note that it seems like everyone says they have some sort of food allergy these days. While they are more common, a true allergic response involves your immune system. Foods that give you only GI distress when consumed are probably not causing an allergic reaction. People who say they have allergies when they do not, make it seem less serious for those who really do.

If you are ever around anyone who you know has allergies and they begin to have symptoms such as swelling, hives, vomiting, difficulty breathing, etc. Give them the epipen immediately and call 911. Don't think twice about it. Giving someone epinephrine who does not need it is a lot less dangerous then waiting until it is too late to give someone the shot. Most people who die from allergic reactions did not epinephrine or got it too late. When in doubt, give the shot.

Here is a link to more info about symptoms of anaphylactic reatcions: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/anaphylaxis/DS00009/DSECTION=symptoms