This past month has been busy! Our organization, Food Allergy Resources & Mentoring (FARM) ,had its 2015 5K themed "Nature vs. Nurture". After months of advocating for food allergies and the need for community awareness, then getting sponsorships from local businesses, the 5K happened! This year's was so amazing because the community really embraced our cause, and I really felt progress in our mission being made. The event was truly an experience from start to finish. The theme "Nature vs. Nurture" wasn't without cause. Our venue was at the Ritch Grissam Memorial Wetlands , a wildlife photographers haven. The off-road course was laid out among all of Florida's native wildlife, and Yes that meant alligators too. With a heightened sense of their surroundings, the race participants learned some eye opening food allergy statistics from posters held at each turn by our amazing volunteers. It was impossible to finish the race without a n
An inside view of the food allergy epidemic. Sophia is a 6 year old living with a life threatening food allergy to both milk proteins: whey and casein. She is anaphylactic to even the touch or breath of a concentrated protein. She, subsequently, suffers from hives, excema, and respiratory symptoms to the touch of a slight presence of either milk protein. She is among the many other children in the U.S. suffering with food allergies. There is no cure, no treatment, only avoidance.