Seedling

Happy food allergy week! In honor of this week, we are providing book recommendations since we get questions about this all the time. Note we are not paid to endorse or recommend these books -- they are just great reads, plain and simple!

📚🔬Food Without Fear: Identify, Prevent and Great Food Allergies by allergist (and Seedling board member), Dr. Ruchi Gupta . For adult readers, this book provides a dynamic perspective on food allergies and sensitivities, covering myths and evidence-based solutions that are practical and effective too. Dr. Gupta is one of the most knowledgeable individuals in the food allergy space – her invaluable wisdom is packed into every page of this book!

📚 🌊Wally the Seafood-Allergic Walrus by food allergist Dr. Alice Hoyt . This book is for early readers and teaches food allergy skills in a truly novel and endearing way. With adorable illustrations, we learn about the value of empathy and kindness, centered around long-lasting friendships. This is truly an enjoyable read with children!

📚 🥜 Penny and the Peanut by Micaa Thomas, (pictured above). What’s amazing is the author took her own personal story and started writing this book in her teenage years. This is a children’s book about friendship that raises food allergy awareness among younger readers. A must read!

📚 ⚡️ Nut Job: How I Crushed my Food Allergies by Sonia Hunt is a charming survival story of a young woman who eliminated her food allergies on her own. A story about holistic eating and living, this is a warm read that is also fun, light and quick.

All of these books can be found on Amazon but links in bio for buying more direct or local. Happy reading!

The school year is in full swing with our largest teacher training rolling out at Deer Creek-Mackinaw CUSD 701. Over 50 teachers trained on
✅ emergency anaphylaxis procedures
✅ epinephrine administration
✅ food allergy drills

Way to go teachers! Our kids are that much safer because of you 🩵

It's National Siblings Day! As parents and caregivers, we spend a lot of energy focusing on the needs of our children with food allergies. I'm sharing some prior insights from one of our advisors, Tamara Hubbard from the The Food Allergy Counselor, Inc., who highlights the perspective of the sibling without food allergies. An important perspecive to always keep in the back of our minds!

Non-Food Allergic Siblings Outline of results from a brief, informal and anonymous survey taken by siblings without food allergies.

Kicked off our first parent workshop on food allergies and asthma this morning! Thanks to Food Allergy Research & Education and Mobile Care Chicago for partnering with us on this important initiative. And many thanks to Namaste Charter School for hosting us.

Huge news for food allergy families! Senators Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth introduced the Protecting Children with Food Allergies Act. This bill calls out the gap between school policy and implementation of food allergy training. Seedling can't wait to help support this gap!

Huge news for those in Illinois today! Senators Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth introduced the Protecting Children with Food Allergies Act. This bill calls out the gap between school policy and implementation of food allergy training. Seedling can't wait to help support this gap!

www.durbin.senate.gov

Happy holidays! Don't forget about these allergy-friendly hosting tips if you plan to host this holiday. Cheers!

Hosting an Allergy-Inclusive Dinner — Seedling It all begins with an idea.

Here are some easy food allergy-friendly tips to follow this holiday season when purchasing gifts for teachers and staff🌟

Teacher Gift-Giving Tips (Food Allergy-Conscious) — Seedling The gift of conscious giving.

An interesting week in California last week. Governor Newsom vetoed what would have been California's Elijah's Law (comprehensive protection for daycare students with food allergies) but passed Zacky's Law on the same day (mandated guidance to schools on food allergies). Great progress, but much more work to be done!

California Governor Vetoes Elijah's Allergy Law for Daycares Governor Gavin Newsom has vetoed the bill that would have become California's Elijah’s Law, designed to protect children with food allergies who are in daycare.

Wrapping up our exhibition at the 2022 Food Allergy Research & Education Summit! It was a successful weekend of education, leadership and community-building.

Thanks to for hosting !

Thanks to all the wonderful organizations and individuals that supported this event. .and.the.peanut