Improving Lives
Charity Challenge spotlight: New nonprofit improves the lives of children with food allergies
Houston's a city of great giving and the CultureMap Charity Challenge aims to highlight that. CultureMap selected 12 deserving nonprofits to compete for a grand prize as they all raise awareness for worthy causes. Today: Texas Children's Hospital Food Allergy Program.
The mission of the new Texas Children's Hospital Food Allergy Program is to support the lifesaving research and services provided by the hospital's Food Allergy Clinic, which features specialists who diagnose children with potentially life-threatening food allergies, and to increase awareness of those allergies among the general public.
While many children outgrow allergies to milk, eggs or wheat, the majority do not outgrow allergies to peanuts, tree nuts, fish and shellfish.
Every six minutes a severe food allergy reaction — also known as anaphylactic shock — sends someone to an emergency room. One in every 13 American children has a food allergy, and 40 percent of those children are considered high risk for a severe food allergy reaction. For children, 25 percent of first-time anaphylactic shocks happen at school and data shows that fatal episodes are often due to delayed administration of an injectable epinephrine or EpiPen.
As part of their efforts to reach more children with their program, Texas Children's Hospital has partnered with HISD to educate students and staff on how to make schools safer for children with severe food allergies.
Vote now for the Texas Children's Hospital Food Allergy Program — or one of the other worthy local nonprofits — in the CultureMap Charity Challenge.
