Food Allergy Initiative Grant Sponsors MedicAlert® Memberships For Children In Need
Prevention and awareness goals for both organizations
TURLOCK , California ( February 20, 2001 ) -- MedicAlert Foundation, the nation's leading emergency medical information service, today announced it has received a $1,500 grant from the Food Allergy Initiative (FAI). The grant will pay for up to 42 MedicAlert memberships for children with severe food allergies who could not otherwise afford the life-saving service.
Food allergies affect more than six million Americans of all ages and backgrounds, but are most common in children. According to the Food and Drug Administration, 2-8 percent of all children have at least one food allergy.
The information provided by MedicAlert in a medical emergency can help make emergency responders more quickly aware of an allergic reaction, allowing more rapid administration of epinephrine. Epinephrine is used to prevent or interrupt anaphylaxis - a rapid, immune-mediated, systemic reaction to allergens that can result in brain damage or death. It is estimated that hundreds die each year from food-induced anaphylaxis and thousands more require emergency treatment due to life-threatening reactions.
Studies show that the majority of accidental ingestions resulting in death occur away from home. Up to 95 percent of fatalities occurred as a result of ingestion of peanuts or other nuts - common ingredients in children's breakfast and snack foods.
When children are traveling or visiting relatives or friends, MedicAlert Membership keeps their key medical facts close at hand, both on a body-worn emblem and in an electronic file accessible by phone or fax from anywhere in the world, 24 hours a day.
For the FAI, a New York-based nonprofit organization dedicated to finding a cure to severe food allergies, the donation supports its mission to prevent fatal food reactions. "Members of the food allergic community should be encouraged to wear MedicAlert® Emblems," said FAI Administrative Director Amie Rappoport. "FAI looks forward to continuing its relationship with MedicAlert® to increase awareness about food allergies."
MedicAlert Foundation, one of the largest nonprofit membership organizations in the world, serves 2.7 million Members nationwide and another 1.3 million globally. As the nation's leading emergency medical information service, MedicAlert Foundation's mission for over 45 years has been to protect and save lives. For more information, call toll-free: 888-904-7630 or visit the MedicAlert website at http://www.medicalert.org/ .
The Food Allergy Initiative is a nonprofit organization dedicated to finding a cure to severe food allergies. FAI's mission is to support research to find a cure, and to develop educational programs and public policy initiatives to increase awareness and prevent fatal food allergic reactions. For more information, call: 212-527-5835 or visit the FAI website at www.foodallergyinitiative.org.