Monday, May 11, 2015

Food Allergy Action Month Trivia Contest

I grew up eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches almost every day at school. As a first time parent, I didn't think there was any cause for alarm in giving my children food that I ate myself as a kid. Having no friends, family or work colleagues with food allergies, the topic actually didn't even come to mind. Than one nice summer day, I took the afternoon off work to enjoy some time with my kids. I fed my daughter a banana slice with a very small amount of peanut butter rubbed on it. She was only a toddler and had never had peanut butter before; my wife had read something about food allergies a few days earlier and asked me to give our 18 month old twins a small sample so just in case a negative reaction occurred I was the one dealing with the situation and not a baby sitter or day care. I didn't think much of it...what was the worst that could happen? Maybe a rash or some itching? Twenty minutes later we were in the ER at a local hospital with my toddler's eyes, nose and throat swelled shut. She was going into something called "anaphylactic shock" and was surrounded by a half dozen or more doctors and nurses urgently rushing in efforts to save her life. It's an experience I'd like to help make sure hopefully others never have to go through.

Fortunately, my daughter survived the experience. Our lives have changed now though. My daughter has a severe food allergy to peanuts and we always have to be on guard to her coming into contact with them now. Her twin brother has a more moderate allergy to them, but we have been warned by our doctor that additional exposures could enhance the condition to a more dangerous level. So we screen all the food they eat now for its ingredients and potential contamination, wipe down surfaces that could have residue on them that could be absorbed into the skin, and try to avoid situations that could put our kids at risk. May is Food Allergy Action Month and since I know from personal experience both how the subject isn't a top of mind issue for most people and also how people without food allergies can expose those who do to risk, injury, and sometimes even death, A Geek Daddy Blog is sharing our story to promote awareness and provide information on this topic.

Our friends at Comcast Xfinity have generously donated a great gift bag as a prize for A Geek Daddy Blog's Food Allergy Action Month Trivia Contest. Answer the trivia question below for a chance to win a backpack filled with a mobile recharging kit for smart phones and tablets, coffee mug, baseball cap, and a water bottle. Must be a US resident and over 18 years old to participate in the trivia contest.



Unfortunately, the number of children with food allergies is an increasing trend with most school now averaging 2 kids per class room with a moderate to severe food allergy compared to that number being a fraction of a percent a generation ago. No one knows what is causing this escalation in food allergy cases and there is no cure. Watch this short informational video from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, a division of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, to learn more about food allergies and to find the answer to our trivia contest question.


For a chance to win the Comcast #Xfinity prize pack submit one or both of the following entry methods to earn up to 3 entries prior to 11:59 pm EST on Sunday May 24, 2015:

Congrats to Kev from Maplewood, Minnesota on winning the Trivia Contest! Thank you to everyone who participated.

E-mail thegeekdaddy [at] yahoo [dot] com your name and mailing address plus correctly answer this question: In what year did an expert panel issue "Guidelines for the Diagnosis & Management of Food Allergy in the United State"? Email subject line should be ALLERGY ACTION HERO. (1 Entry)

For additional entries, visit our Facebook Food Allergy Action Month Trivia Contest post and leave a comment mentioning one of the eight most common food allergies (2 Entries)

A special thank you to Comcast Cable Heartland Region for generously providing our trivia contest prize.


We've encountered many people over the last few years who don't think that our daughter's food allergy is "a big deal", don't want any restrictions placed on them to help protect children with food allergies, or just don't care and believe it is just our family's issue to deal with and if something bad happens it is my daughter or our family's own fault.  While we understand that our daughter's medical condition is our burden to deal with we also believe that when it comes to school and public spaces that there should be some level of safeguards in place to allow people with food allergies to be able to live healthy and productive lives without fear that someone else's actions could hurt them. We're not trying to rid the world of peanuts, our family is just asking people show some consideration and compassion for those people who are facing a life threatening medical condition.


You can become a food allergy action hero this month by taking a moment to educate yourself on this matter and pledging to make an effort to be considerate of those who suffer from this medical condition.  If you are up to the challenge CLICK HERE to download the template to create your very own food allergy action hero costume.  Print a teal mask and a hero emblem for your shirt then cut out and wear them to have fun as you show your food allergy spirit.  Take a picture of you in your action hero outfit and tag it with #FoodAllergyMonth on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. There are adult and children's sizes of the masks available to download.

Once you have your food allergy action hero gear, take a moment to read this one page handout that contains facts about food allergies that can be shared and used to help educate others about this growing public health issue.  Download Now.


 

For more information about food allergies visit FARE (Food Allergy Research & Education) at www.foodallergy.org.

DISCLAIMER:  A Geek Daddy Blog will be responsible for selecting the winner of this contest and delivery of the prize. By participating in this contest, you waive any liability to the publisher that may arise from your involvement with this promotion.  Winner is subject to eligibility verification. No P.O. Boxes are allowed as mailing addresses.  A Geek Daddy Blog is hosting this contest as a benefit to our readers. Any opinions in this post are my own.

5 comments:

  1. It's so difficult to have food allergies, especially as a child. I hope one day they come up with a vaccination or something for peanut allergies.

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  2. Food allergies suck! My husband has several food allergies and it makes it hard to make meals. Really has to suck when kids are involved.

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  3. Great information! I just had my daughter tested and she came back negative. I was shocked. I'm glad your cutie pie is okay.

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  4. How nice that you're helping to spread the word. food allergies are nothing to take lightly. Our daughter is allergic to bananas. Her reaction had gotten worse with every exposure. Scary!

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  5. I am quite proud of you for being so proactive and knowledgeable. You are really helping other families like myself be more careful and thoughtful.

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