00:00:37.320 --> 00:00:40.740
Itchy and you just want to
keep on itching yourself.

00:00:40.940 --> 00:00:42.340
I was struggling to breathe.

00:00:42.520 --> 00:00:45.140
It was definitely one of the
scariest moments in my life.

00:00:45.200 --> 00:00:48.960
I was so scared. I was
afraid he was going to die.

00:01:01.320 --> 00:01:02.153
Float down in the back.

00:01:02.960 --> 00:01:03.793
The mic.

00:01:07.480 --> 00:01:08.520
Okay. Are we ready to do this?

00:01:09.560 --> 00:01:13.580
The challenge with food allergies is all
those symptoms can be very severe and

00:01:13.600 --> 00:01:15.860
go into anaphylaxis and
can be life-threatening.

00:01:17.040 --> 00:01:21.800
The good news is that most times
it's not and your body does recover.

00:01:21.940 --> 00:01:26.720
So a big piece of this is
not to spread the fear that a

00:01:26.800 --> 00:01:30.701
child could die because
most of them will not.

00:01:43.561 --> 00:01:47.661
When I hear people say that, "Oh, that
can kill her. Oh, she can die from that.

00:01:47.721 --> 00:01:48.554
What are you

00:01:51.670 --> 00:01:54.641
doing?" That's when the
fear starts being instilled.

00:02:01.061 --> 00:02:04.841
My name is Ria Jane and I'm
allergic to peanuts and tree nuts.

00:02:06.401 --> 00:02:10.841
Almost every celebration involves
food. Irthdays, Thanksgiving,

00:02:11.461 --> 00:02:16.301
4th of July, Easter dinner, Christmas
dinner. My name is Owen Osborne.

00:02:16.461 --> 00:02:21.361
The foods that I'm allergic to are
eggs, dairy, beef, oranges and nuts.

00:02:24.981 --> 00:02:28.641
Anaphylaxis for me is
specifically caused by fish.

00:02:29.041 --> 00:02:32.201
I'm allergic to peanuts and
tree nuts. My name is John,

00:02:32.261 --> 00:02:35.001
so I'm allergic to
peanuts, treanuts, eggs,

00:02:35.880 --> 00:02:38.360
buckwheat and shrimp and so fish.

00:02:39.741 --> 00:02:41.161
My name is Jerome Bettis.

00:02:41.461 --> 00:02:45.581
I'm a former NFL running back for the
Pittsburgh Stills and I was inducted into

00:02:45.601 --> 00:02:47.081
the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

00:02:47.521 --> 00:02:50.441
I discovered my food allergy
when I was 15 years old.

00:02:50.761 --> 00:02:53.641
The doctors told me I was
allergic to shellfish.

00:02:56.981 --> 00:03:00.622
Just because you carry epinephrine to a
restaurant doesn't mean you're scared of

00:03:00.662 --> 00:03:04.922
your food allergy. So we can be
careful, but doesn't control our lives.

00:03:06.562 --> 00:03:06.942
However,

00:03:06.942 --> 00:03:11.782
we do know families who have suffered
a child dying from a food allergy

00:03:12.162 --> 00:03:16.942
and a lot of them have become
strong advocates to educating and

00:03:17.022 --> 00:03:20.282
building awareness because of what
they've had to suffer through.

00:03:21.342 --> 00:03:25.822
My son, Elijah Alavi, whom we call Ela,

00:03:26.502 --> 00:03:29.782
was given a grilled cheese
sandwich at his daycare.

00:03:33.862 --> 00:03:38.002
He went into anaphylaxis and
he was not given epinephrine.

00:03:40.002 --> 00:03:42.800
My son died November 3rd, 2017.

00:03:49.262 --> 00:03:53.182
I think nobody understands the risk.

00:03:53.362 --> 00:03:54.662
Every morsel

00:03:56.422 --> 00:03:59.982
of anything put in their mouth
could cause them a reaction.

00:04:00.342 --> 00:04:04.422
It's challenging because we want to
keep kids safe as much as possible.

00:04:04.682 --> 00:04:06.602
And we know if they have anaphylaxis,

00:04:06.662 --> 00:04:11.542
we want to give them the security that
their child will for the most part

00:04:11.622 --> 00:04:12.455
be okay.

00:04:12.682 --> 00:04:17.522
But then we work and know these
beautiful families who have

00:04:17.562 --> 00:04:20.442
lost a child and it's heartbreaking.

00:04:24.682 --> 00:04:28.602
Many of our schools are not
fully educated or equipped to

00:04:29.603 --> 00:04:31.383
support children with food allergies.

00:04:33.323 --> 00:04:37.183
They forget you and do stuff without you.

00:04:38.360 --> 00:04:41.923
Yeah, that's fine, but the teacher forgot,

00:04:42.323 --> 00:04:46.823
I guess forgot about me. I'm
so sorry I forgot about you.

00:04:47.523 --> 00:04:50.683
I had to sit on the riser and
watch the other kids play the game.

00:04:51.203 --> 00:04:55.643
And I was sitting in the
corner, literally a dark corner.

00:04:55.763 --> 00:05:00.043
So something has to be done about this
then because maybe I could do something

00:05:00.063 --> 00:05:01.803
to prevent this from
happening to another family.

00:05:06.103 --> 00:05:09.603
Oh no, you invited that
kid? He's so annoying.

00:05:11.003 --> 00:05:13.103
Who brings a backpack to a birthday party?

00:05:19.923 --> 00:05:21.603
Aren't you supposed to
bring presents? Yeah.

00:05:23.723 --> 00:05:26.583
Kids with food allergies
just want to be included.

00:05:27.743 --> 00:05:31.623
They want to fit in and
they want to be liked.

00:05:32.763 --> 00:05:35.423
It's not healthy for your eyes
to stare that long at someone.

00:05:35.963 --> 00:05:36.943
Aubrey. I'm.

00:05:37.503 --> 00:05:40.663
Just saying they're going to permanently
bug out and roll onto the lawn.

00:05:49.703 --> 00:05:52.563
So I mean this is cool I guess, right?

00:05:53.983 --> 00:05:57.223
My friend from dance team is now your
go - to friend at your new school.

00:05:57.784 --> 00:06:00.004
Only reason she invited me is
because we're in the same art class.

00:06:01.924 --> 00:06:02.757
She's so nice though.

00:06:03.824 --> 00:06:07.344
Well, I can't let you eat alone
at a birthday party. Besides,

00:06:08.224 --> 00:06:09.704
I actually really like nutless snacks.

00:06:10.304 --> 00:06:11.137
Yeah.

00:06:13.604 --> 00:06:18.304
Oh. Are you painting
again? What is it? Wait,

00:06:18.364 --> 00:06:22.004
can I guess? Dragon. No, no, no. Ghost.

00:06:22.684 --> 00:06:25.844
Do you remember that purple monster you
drew for me in the second grade with all

00:06:25.864 --> 00:06:29.624
the bloody teeth? Yeah. Oh,

00:06:30.884 --> 00:06:31.717
wow.

00:06:35.224 --> 00:06:36.057
You do really like her.

00:06:37.944 --> 00:06:40.264
Yeah, it's my gift for her.

00:06:42.684 --> 00:06:47.684
This detail is amazing, Zach.
Thanks. The curb of her jaw,

00:06:48.184 --> 00:06:52.444
the wave and her hair. It's beautiful.

00:07:01.120 --> 00:07:01.953
Be right back.

00:07:06.400 --> 00:07:07.840
Oh yeah, true.

00:07:08.480 --> 00:07:11.624
I'll just be here
awkwardly eating by myself.

00:07:13.324 --> 00:07:18.284
So hopefully you can make it because
I'm sure I went through a period that I

00:07:19.244 --> 00:07:20.844
didn't really talk
about my food allergies.

00:07:21.504 --> 00:07:23.984
I didn't want that label or that stigma.

00:07:25.600 --> 00:07:26.680
Thanks for picking up the food.

00:07:26.884 --> 00:07:29.405
Yeah. My name is Anna Stover.

00:07:29.905 --> 00:07:31.985
I'm 18 years old and a
senior in high school.

00:07:33.120 --> 00:07:33.953
Amelia.

00:07:34.625 --> 00:07:38.285
I am a normal teenager, but I
happen to have food allergies.

00:07:38.865 --> 00:07:43.265
Originally I thought I'm totally
alone in this. I'm by myself.

00:07:44.425 --> 00:07:47.305
When in reality I have
learned that I'm not.

00:07:48.165 --> 00:07:52.945
And I kind of found a
community that I can just

00:07:53.805 --> 00:07:54.685
be myself in.

00:07:55.905 --> 00:08:00.865
I remember one point I got some
eggs and it was all good and we had

00:08:00.925 --> 00:08:01.758
pancakes.

00:08:01.785 --> 00:08:06.745
Then I threw up all
over the chair and I had

00:08:06.765 --> 00:08:09.165
hives and I was coughing really bad.

00:08:09.465 --> 00:08:13.945
So we had to call the ambulance and
it was horrible because it went...

00:08:17.265 --> 00:08:19.345
It might've been like two or three,

00:08:19.565 --> 00:08:22.065
but there are some things you
can remember a little bit.

00:08:24.085 --> 00:08:26.665
I think I was eight months old
when I had my first reaction.

00:08:26.845 --> 00:08:31.545
My sister kissed me on the cheek after
she had a peanut butter waffle, I think.

00:08:31.705 --> 00:08:31.765
I.

00:08:31.765 --> 00:08:36.125
Was holding him in my lap
and we could hear the sirens.

00:08:37.465 --> 00:08:40.785
We could hear him coming for him and
I just said, "Buddy, here they come.

00:08:41.265 --> 00:08:44.585
They're on their way." He blew
up. He did not have this coloring,

00:08:44.645 --> 00:08:46.865
any of the coloring, the red, the yellow.

00:08:49.245 --> 00:08:50.185
That was my tiny little baby.

00:08:56.200 --> 00:08:58.045
I was about two years old, I believe,

00:08:58.266 --> 00:09:02.206
and we were at a restaurant and my brother
was eating a peanut butter and jelly

00:09:02.286 --> 00:09:04.066
sandwich and drinking his water.

00:09:04.826 --> 00:09:09.026
And I just took a sip of his same
water and I think I broke out into

00:09:09.146 --> 00:09:12.286
hives and had some rashes on my neck.

00:09:14.146 --> 00:09:17.866
I've lived with food allergies
my entire life. I love food.

00:09:18.326 --> 00:09:19.686
I love the bright colors,

00:09:19.866 --> 00:09:24.406
the unique smells and the way you can
mix flavors into delicious dishes.

00:09:25.126 --> 00:09:30.106
It has gotten worse over time to
the point where it's like I will die

00:09:30.286 --> 00:09:32.686
if I come into contact with certain foods.

00:09:34.320 --> 00:09:39.146
We were in and out of the hospital all
the time. I put grapes in his oatmeal.

00:09:39.466 --> 00:09:41.386
I didn't know he couldn't have grapes.

00:09:41.986 --> 00:09:44.246
Blueberries and grapes that
were in the Berry family.

00:09:44.526 --> 00:09:49.046
So that's how we kind of trial
and error found out about his food

00:09:49.106 --> 00:09:49.939
allergies.

00:09:50.046 --> 00:09:50.879
Hi, Lydia. Hi.

00:09:50.886 --> 00:09:55.266
Zach. Zach,

00:09:55.426 --> 00:09:56.366
I made some just for you.

00:10:01.266 --> 00:10:04.226
Hey dude, where's your backpack?
You going camping or something?

00:10:04.546 --> 00:10:05.379
Sam.

00:10:05.726 --> 00:10:10.586
I'm just messing with you.
Hey. No hard feelings, bro.

00:10:16.106 --> 00:10:16.939
Whatever, dude.

00:10:17.846 --> 00:10:22.026
One of the biggest misunderstandings
people have about food allergies is that

00:10:22.066 --> 00:10:24.586
they think it's not really that serious.

00:10:28.467 --> 00:10:31.967
In PE class, a buddy told me
that someone said that. Well,

00:10:32.047 --> 00:10:35.147
Giles probably doesn't even
have a real egg allergy.

00:10:35.447 --> 00:10:40.207
People don't understand that much
about food allergies and they can

00:10:40.307 --> 00:10:41.227
think it's fake.

00:10:41.347 --> 00:10:45.127
Before Giles, I had no
understanding of food allergies.

00:10:45.507 --> 00:10:49.347
We ate whatever we wanted, whenever
we wanted, went to any restaurant,

00:10:49.627 --> 00:10:51.067
just didn't think anything about it.

00:10:51.367 --> 00:10:55.067
Now it's different because in
order to keep my child safe,

00:10:55.267 --> 00:10:58.927
I have to look out for
him because if I don't,

00:10:59.747 --> 00:11:00.580
nobody else will.

00:11:03.547 --> 00:11:06.087
Some people can really assume that ah,

00:11:06.167 --> 00:11:09.947
it's not that serious when
it can be life-threatening.

00:11:10.007 --> 00:11:14.847
If you can't have something,
you're annoying or you're wimpy.

00:11:15.607 --> 00:11:19.907
I just took some of my food and
put it on his tray to be funny.

00:11:20.067 --> 00:11:24.127
And then one of my teachers came over
and explained to me that it can seriously

00:11:24.367 --> 00:11:27.407
hurt him to have all
that food on his plate.

00:11:27.507 --> 00:11:29.027
When you laugh at something,

00:11:30.407 --> 00:11:32.927
it's funny and it could be misconstrued.

00:11:33.687 --> 00:11:38.387
People who are living with the allergies
see it in a much different light.

00:11:39.467 --> 00:11:43.227
Portraying characters living with
food allergies as annoying, weak,

00:11:43.567 --> 00:11:47.987
or as a villain have become common
tropes in television and movies.

00:11:48.847 --> 00:11:52.527
Making food allergies into a joke
can have tragic consequences.

00:11:53.047 --> 00:11:57.307
According to food allergy research and
education, it can lead to bullying,

00:11:57.648 --> 00:12:01.948
teasing, or dismissing someone who
is having an anaphylactic attack.

00:12:02.248 --> 00:12:05.368
I asked him why he didn't
want any broccoli. He said,

00:12:05.488 --> 00:12:10.448
"I'm allergic to vegetables." Made me
feel like food allergies were just a

00:12:10.528 --> 00:12:12.548
good joke, so basically
they wouldn't care.

00:12:16.208 --> 00:12:20.488
Another misconception about food allergies
is that they are the same thing as

00:12:20.608 --> 00:12:24.388
food sensitivities like
gluten or lactose intolerance.

00:12:24.948 --> 00:12:29.128
I'll say I have celiac. And
my friends will go, "Wait,

00:12:29.668 --> 00:12:31.828
does that mean if you eat this cookie,

00:12:32.288 --> 00:12:36.548
you're going to go to the hospital?"
It's more my body will be inflamed.

00:12:36.768 --> 00:12:38.768
I won't feel great if I have that,

00:12:39.108 --> 00:12:44.068
but I will never and have never
had an anaphylactic reaction from

00:12:44.148 --> 00:12:44.888
gluten.

00:12:44.888 --> 00:12:47.748
One of my friends who said that
she was allergic to peanuts,

00:12:47.848 --> 00:12:50.248
but in reality she didn't have an allergy.

00:12:50.348 --> 00:12:52.308
She just didn't like the taste of them.

00:12:53.448 --> 00:12:56.968
One of my friends had a birthday party
at school. They had a cookie cake.

00:12:57.228 --> 00:13:01.928
So that means I can't have a slice.
And depending on your point of view,

00:13:02.008 --> 00:13:02.968
it could be like, oh, well,

00:13:03.308 --> 00:13:06.468
I guess this kid just doesn't want to
celebrate or he doesn't want to be a part

00:13:06.488 --> 00:13:08.428
of anything. And that felt terrible.

00:13:09.168 --> 00:13:12.388
Don't you want them? They don't
have peanut butter in them.

00:13:13.348 --> 00:13:17.688
Nutless. What? Oh, you even put
his name on it. How sweet. Aubrey.

00:13:18.320 --> 00:13:19.153
What are you doing?

00:13:20.168 --> 00:13:21.001
What are you doing?

00:13:21.868 --> 00:13:23.028
Chill. It's okay.

00:13:25.368 --> 00:13:27.249
If you like them if you want to try one.

00:13:29.969 --> 00:13:34.829
Try one? Well, I'd love to try one,

00:13:34.909 --> 00:13:39.369
but can't have dessert first,
right? Got to have lunch.

00:13:39.809 --> 00:13:44.809
But I can't wait to eat them. Thanks.

00:13:47.529 --> 00:13:48.509
As a kid,

00:13:48.869 --> 00:13:53.329
I wasn't very vocal about it
because I didn't want anyone to

00:13:54.309 --> 00:13:57.809
make a comment or make a joke.

00:13:58.169 --> 00:14:02.549
I remember showing them my epinephrine
and I remember actually thinking that it

00:14:02.569 --> 00:14:06.049
was super cool, but they were
so scared and they were like,

00:14:06.109 --> 00:14:06.942
"Get that away from me. ".

00:14:07.209 --> 00:14:08.729
People just see it as like, "Oh,

00:14:08.869 --> 00:14:13.329
you have food allergies," that sort of
thing where they almost just kind of

00:14:13.709 --> 00:14:16.749
assume a couple things about you just
because you can't eat a certain food.

00:14:18.249 --> 00:14:20.629
It might be easy to hide
your food allergies,

00:14:20.729 --> 00:14:24.149
but it's impossible to
hide an allergic reaction.

00:14:24.629 --> 00:14:25.462
In second grade,

00:14:25.489 --> 00:14:28.949
Owen had to wear a sticker and sit
at a special table during lunch.

00:14:29.349 --> 00:14:33.489
You're sitting at a table by yourself
looking at all the other socializations.

00:14:33.629 --> 00:14:36.789
It's really just to put you away from
people who are eating your allergen.

00:14:37.269 --> 00:14:41.909
And being we are social beings. Well,
most humans are social beings. I.

00:14:42.389 --> 00:14:46.689
Was with one of my friends at the allergy
free table and one of his friends came

00:14:46.729 --> 00:14:50.209
over and asked him, "Hey, why are
you sitting at the weird kids' table?

00:14:50.369 --> 00:14:51.609
Come on to the normal kids table.".

00:14:52.169 --> 00:14:52.449
Yeah,

00:14:52.449 --> 00:14:57.389
we had the food allergy table at our
school and sort of the stigma that came

00:14:57.409 --> 00:14:57.950
with that is, oh,

00:14:57.950 --> 00:15:01.810
the weird kids sit at the table because
nobody would ever talk to them during

00:15:01.890 --> 00:15:04.310
lunch because they were at a
completely different table.

00:15:04.470 --> 00:15:06.810
I don't think I ever really got over that.

00:15:07.150 --> 00:15:11.390
You hear of things and you know that your
child wasn't invited because of their

00:15:11.410 --> 00:15:13.910
food allergy. It makes you feel sad.

00:15:15.450 --> 00:15:18.710
Giles didn't choose to
have food allergies.

00:15:19.090 --> 00:15:23.330
Even though I know it is a medical
issue and I don't have a choice,

00:15:24.650 --> 00:15:26.930
I hate having to speak up about it.

00:15:27.290 --> 00:15:29.250
I wanted to be the one who played soccer.

00:15:29.390 --> 00:15:32.590
I wanted to be the one who
could do an awesome cartwheel.

00:15:32.790 --> 00:15:35.290
I didn't want to be defined as
something that I couldn't do.

00:15:35.630 --> 00:15:36.463
You can't eat them.

00:15:36.630 --> 00:15:37.463
I can't eat them.

00:15:38.170 --> 00:15:39.170
You're going to have to tell her.

00:15:40.070 --> 00:15:41.230
She made them especially for me.

00:15:42.010 --> 00:15:44.690
Yeah, but cross contact.
Remember the blueberry muffin?

00:15:53.650 --> 00:15:54.760
Happy birthday.

00:16:15.520 --> 00:16:20.230
I do not feel that teachers and
schools are well-equipped to keep

00:16:20.370 --> 00:16:23.130
kids with food allergies
safe while they're at school.

00:16:26.031 --> 00:16:28.031
I was angry. I was very, very angry.

00:16:29.471 --> 00:16:31.041
Sometimes I still can't believe it.

00:16:34.871 --> 00:16:36.651
I couldn't understand how it happened. So

00:16:38.331 --> 00:16:43.031
I put on my law hat for a second and I
started digging into the New York State

00:16:43.111 --> 00:16:47.971
laws to see what I could do.

00:16:57.360 --> 00:16:58.451
As a pediatrician,

00:16:58.611 --> 00:17:03.171
I see kids with food allergies and
realize that we really didn't even have

00:17:04.171 --> 00:17:07.891
how many people have a food allergy and
what are the most common types and how

00:17:07.991 --> 00:17:12.391
severe are they? And so with my
research training background,

00:17:12.511 --> 00:17:16.131
I though this is an area where I
can potentially make a difference.

00:17:16.531 --> 00:17:21.491
One day I was with my extended
family and I had a mouthful

00:17:22.051 --> 00:17:25.811
of shrimp fried rice and I knew
immediately something was off.

00:17:26.671 --> 00:17:31.591
It was very scary because I was
really struggling to breathe and

00:17:31.711 --> 00:17:35.471
I thought that I could die.

00:17:35.911 --> 00:17:38.471
It was life-changing.

00:17:39.960 --> 00:17:44.811
I achieved athletic excellence
through hard work and determination.

00:17:45.131 --> 00:17:49.611
I became determined to help people
understand the truth about food allergies.

00:17:49.911 --> 00:17:54.120
When severe allergic reaction strike,
give yourself epinephrine and go call 911.

00:17:54.612 --> 00:17:56.231
But he's a football player.

00:17:56.632 --> 00:17:57.465
Am I?

00:18:01.972 --> 00:18:05.412
When food allergy strike,
remember to give and go.

00:18:06.132 --> 00:18:06.492
Hey.

00:18:06.492 --> 00:18:07.325
You ready to go, man?

00:18:07.612 --> 00:18:12.212
Yeah. My name is Aiden. Me
and Owen met in second grade.

00:18:13.092 --> 00:18:16.492
Hi, Owen. Hello. Nice to meet you.
Nice to meet you. And I'm Alexis.

00:18:16.552 --> 00:18:19.692
I was inspired by two things
to become a chef. One,

00:18:19.992 --> 00:18:23.952
I wanted to make food that was safe
for everyone to eat even if they had

00:18:24.092 --> 00:18:27.732
allergies. And two, I just
wanted to make healthy food.

00:18:27.992 --> 00:18:29.272
So are you allergic to beef?

00:18:29.572 --> 00:18:33.852
Yes, I am. Owen's allergies
are beef, dairy, nuts,

00:18:34.612 --> 00:18:36.092
oranges and eggs.

00:18:38.752 --> 00:18:43.392
Anna and I met sometime in
kindergarten and we've known each other

00:18:43.492 --> 00:18:47.612
since. I think that we are the
closest any two people can be.

00:18:47.972 --> 00:18:49.382
I trust her so much and I love her.

00:18:50.392 --> 00:18:54.092
Giles is definitely my best friend. We
just both played on the soccer team,

00:18:54.172 --> 00:18:57.532
both played on the basketball team.
We played all sports together.

00:18:57.792 --> 00:18:59.152
He's always there to support you.

00:18:59.852 --> 00:19:04.232
He's really fun to play sports with and
he's always nice when you're hanging out

00:19:04.272 --> 00:19:05.112
or having a bad day.

00:19:07.552 --> 00:19:11.532
We passed the first Elijah's Law in New
York State. So that was like our very,

00:19:11.612 --> 00:19:16.112
very first accomplishment. It says your
daycare center, your childcare center,

00:19:16.192 --> 00:19:19.332
your school, they must
provide training, medicine,

00:19:19.572 --> 00:19:21.132
all the things that these
children are going to need.

00:19:21.193 --> 00:19:25.993
They also wanted to provide
information and education for the staff

00:19:26.153 --> 00:19:27.593
so they can be certified.

00:19:27.933 --> 00:19:31.593
They'll be able to identify signs and
symptoms and they won't be left alone.

00:19:31.673 --> 00:19:33.893
And I would just like to know from you,

00:19:34.573 --> 00:19:39.413
how can we bring this to Kansas City or
Missouri State to protect the children

00:19:39.453 --> 00:19:40.286
here?

00:19:40.313 --> 00:19:44.773
It's not going to be an easy procedure,
but that doesn't mean we shouldn't try.

00:19:45.293 --> 00:19:50.013
The Elijah Scale is a
rating system on how many

00:19:50.133 --> 00:19:55.113
policies the state has in regards

00:19:55.173 --> 00:19:55.953
to fod allergies.

00:19:55.953 --> 00:20:00.593
The highest score you can get on the
scale is a nine and Missouri has a

00:20:00.833 --> 00:20:02.893
one and Kansas has a.

00:20:03.813 --> 00:20:05.753
Two.Nothing changes if nothing changes.

00:20:06.753 --> 00:20:08.953
So I'm grateful that I can do this now.

00:20:09.353 --> 00:20:12.853
Well, I thank you for being here.
I know it takes a lot of courage,

00:20:12.913 --> 00:20:13.746
a lot of bravery,

00:20:15.093 --> 00:20:18.173
but I think you're going to make a
difference in a lot of people's lives.

00:20:18.713 --> 00:20:19.913
You've went through this.

00:20:19.973 --> 00:20:23.973
You've been through this trying to get
Elijah's law passed in obviously multiple

00:20:24.013 --> 00:20:27.333
states. You've done a great job. You were
like a superwoman getting things done.

00:20:27.553 --> 00:20:31.253
There was a lot of education. There
were times people were asking,

00:20:31.313 --> 00:20:34.933
"What is anaphylaxis?" These are
politicians. They're like, "What is this?

00:20:35.013 --> 00:20:36.413
Why should we care?" Kind of thing.

00:20:37.373 --> 00:20:40.733
So working on the local
level was very paramount.

00:20:41.233 --> 00:20:46.193
Speaking with your councilmen,
councilwoman, and then working from there,

00:20:47.473 --> 00:20:49.413
trying to get to the state to state level.

00:20:51.920 --> 00:20:56.280
I think it can be done if everybody
is thinking about the children.

00:20:57.694 --> 00:21:01.574
The first step to ending the stigma
around food allergies is to know what they

00:21:01.694 --> 00:21:02.154
are.

00:21:02.154 --> 00:21:05.174
Food allergies happen when the
immune system makes a mistake.

00:21:05.654 --> 00:21:09.334
Normally your immune system
protects you from germs and disease.

00:21:10.154 --> 00:21:14.494
It does this by making antibodies
that fight off bacteria, viruses,

00:21:14.714 --> 00:21:18.694
and other tiny organisms that can make
you sick. But if you have a food allergy,

00:21:19.034 --> 00:21:23.594
your immune system mistakenly thinks
the protein in the food is very

00:21:23.674 --> 00:21:24.634
dangerous for you.

00:21:25.014 --> 00:21:29.274
So different immune cells in your
body release all these cytokines,

00:21:29.334 --> 00:21:33.674
things like histamine that go out
throughout your body and cause

00:21:34.114 --> 00:21:37.074
this reaction and this
reaction cascade to happen.

00:21:37.514 --> 00:21:40.834
One of the hardest things I've noticed
as a parent of a child with food

00:21:40.894 --> 00:21:44.234
allergies is everywhere you take
your child, they ask you that. Well,

00:21:44.334 --> 00:21:46.034
how severe are her food allergies?

00:21:46.674 --> 00:21:50.654
There's no such thing as a mild
food allergy. That's not a thing.

00:21:51.534 --> 00:21:55.774
And each parent gets asked this question
and you have to come up with your own

00:21:55.934 --> 00:21:58.714
answer because you haven't been told.

00:21:58.914 --> 00:22:01.694
So that adds to the complexity.

00:22:01.994 --> 00:22:05.374
I have a peanut and tree nut
allergy, so there's no nuts.

00:22:05.534 --> 00:22:08.654
People really have built this
awareness about peanut allergy,

00:22:09.194 --> 00:22:11.914
but they don't understand some
of the other common foods,

00:22:11.994 --> 00:22:15.574
things like milk and
eggs and wheat and soy.

00:22:16.574 --> 00:22:20.834
Those are everywhere. We
have environmental allergies,
seasonal allergies.

00:22:21.134 --> 00:22:25.874
And so when people say allergies, it's
difficult to know what that means.

00:22:27.055 --> 00:22:30.775
And this is one of the big reasons we
always encourage for families to join

00:22:30.855 --> 00:22:34.795
support groups, to learn from
other families. You're not alone.

00:22:34.995 --> 00:22:38.855
This is something that 32
million Americans deal with.

00:22:39.155 --> 00:22:42.995
Another important piece to end the stigma
around food allergies is learning how

00:22:43.015 --> 00:22:45.875
to spot the signs and
symptoms of a reaction.

00:22:47.235 --> 00:22:51.215
If someone's having a reaction to a
food, it can be hard sometimes to tell.

00:22:51.555 --> 00:22:55.355
Food allergy can cause a reaction
in any organ system. Skin,

00:22:55.755 --> 00:22:56.595
that's a common one.

00:22:57.055 --> 00:22:59.375
Most of the time I get
hives and my stomach hurts.

00:22:59.655 --> 00:23:03.095
It's like having hundreds of
mosquito bites all over your body.

00:23:03.175 --> 00:23:05.095
GI, your gastrointestinal tract.

00:23:05.255 --> 00:23:08.895
Usually I throw up and my
eyes just get super red.

00:23:09.215 --> 00:23:14.155
My face just gets puffy.
What's the worst thing ever?

00:23:14.515 --> 00:23:16.595
Your lungs, right? Your respiratory tract.

00:23:16.875 --> 00:23:19.315
I can't breathe and I'm feeling nauseous.

00:23:19.535 --> 00:23:22.855
Your cardiovascular system, you don't
always know what it's going to do.

00:23:23.535 --> 00:23:27.735
We notice that some kids have similar
reactions every time they accidentally

00:23:27.795 --> 00:23:30.475
ingest their food and others change.

00:23:30.635 --> 00:23:33.975
Different things can impact
the severity of that reaction.

00:23:34.075 --> 00:23:38.295
And that's what also makes food allergies
so complicated and unpredictable.

00:23:38.535 --> 00:23:41.515
The most terrifying part
wasn't even my own fear.

00:23:42.355 --> 00:23:46.735
It was just looking at my parents and
seeing the shock and fear in their faces.

00:23:47.115 --> 00:23:50.656
I will probably remember that
reaction for the rest of my life.

00:23:50.796 --> 00:23:55.736
A lot of times I've seen these kids who
had had relatively mild reactions and

00:23:55.756 --> 00:23:58.596
then one day they go into anaphylaxis.

00:23:58.916 --> 00:24:03.496
We see this all the time and that's why
it's so hard for us to classify and it

00:24:03.516 --> 00:24:05.236
makes it very hard for families.

00:24:07.976 --> 00:24:10.936
The first thing to do is be
very clear on what you ate.

00:24:11.256 --> 00:24:13.596
So if this is your
child, what did they eat?

00:24:13.716 --> 00:24:16.376
Was it a food with multiple
ingredients? List them,

00:24:16.456 --> 00:24:20.036
make sure you know what it was, and
then be clear on what symptoms you had.

00:24:20.576 --> 00:24:24.976
Was it just stomach pain? Was it
hives? Was it trouble breathing?

00:24:25.096 --> 00:24:28.996
I do want you to see an allergist
here now that you're here.

00:24:29.396 --> 00:24:31.496
Your allergist will do a blood test,

00:24:32.376 --> 00:24:37.356
an IgE specific to the foods
you ate, or a skin prick test.

00:24:37.496 --> 00:24:40.896
What skin testing does is it
puts a little bit of an extract,

00:24:41.216 --> 00:24:42.776
an allergen extract on your skin,

00:24:43.296 --> 00:24:45.736
and we see if we can find signs
that you're allergic to it.

00:24:45.796 --> 00:24:47.656
We'd look for the allergic
antibiotic in the skin.

00:24:47.976 --> 00:24:50.596
So it kind of just feels weird to
have someone right on your skin.

00:24:51.016 --> 00:24:55.956
It feels kind of scratchy
and like fingernails a

00:24:56.016 --> 00:24:56.796
little bit.

00:24:56.796 --> 00:24:57.629
Pistachio.

00:24:59.376 --> 00:25:03.216
And this is our negative control
and our positive control.

00:25:03.516 --> 00:25:05.176
You should never try this at home.

00:25:05.776 --> 00:25:09.356
The best place for an allergy
test is at the doctor's office.

00:25:09.436 --> 00:25:11.676
It's not that scary. You'll be okay.

00:25:14.156 --> 00:25:17.736
What we're really excited about
is until now for 17 years,

00:25:17.796 --> 00:25:18.656
we could offer nothing.

00:25:19.236 --> 00:25:23.077
And now we have a lot of different
treatments and clinical trials.

00:25:23.336 --> 00:25:27.716
And I'm hoping in the next five to 10
years we're going to have a choice in

00:25:27.797 --> 00:25:28.697
treatment options.

00:25:28.957 --> 00:25:30.197
Okay. Dina and Thomas,

00:25:30.457 --> 00:25:35.097
I would love to introduce
you to Representative Ealy
And Representative Weber

00:25:35.257 --> 00:25:36.557
from the state of Missouri.

00:25:36.937 --> 00:25:41.097
We wanted to give you news that
we have filed the bill. Oh my.

00:25:41.397 --> 00:25:44.677
Gosh. Thank you. We're really excited.

00:25:45.077 --> 00:25:46.637
Thank you so much for sharing your story.

00:25:47.437 --> 00:25:49.437
I'm so sorry you had to go through that.

00:25:49.677 --> 00:25:54.417
We need more people like you
to come and fight for the

00:25:54.557 --> 00:25:57.117
good of your community.

00:25:57.957 --> 00:26:02.697
And sometimes it takes something like
this where you realize there was a

00:26:02.857 --> 00:26:07.857
need and hopefully we can get Elijah's
law passed in so many other states

00:26:07.897 --> 00:26:11.077
because it is something
that is very much needed.

00:26:11.137 --> 00:26:14.677
Kids that live with food allergies
are just like any other kid.

00:26:15.057 --> 00:26:18.897
I enjoy swimming. I enjoy
reading. I enjoy school,

00:26:19.517 --> 00:26:20.457
stay in school kids.

00:26:20.837 --> 00:26:21.657
Why don't we go?

00:26:21.657 --> 00:26:22.490
Why?

00:26:23.317 --> 00:26:27.557
Well, I don't know, maybe 10 reasons.
The 10 fiery red bumps on your face.

00:26:27.917 --> 00:26:29.477
Shouldn't you be taking your epi by now?

00:26:29.677 --> 00:26:30.510
No, I'm fine.

00:26:30.597 --> 00:26:35.397
Fine? Zach, this party's
lousy with peanuts and clearly
you're reacting. I mean,

00:26:35.617 --> 00:26:38.197
Lydia's clueless about
cross contact. Lydia.

00:26:41.457 --> 00:26:42.290
Speak of the devil.

00:26:43.677 --> 00:26:44.510
There you are.

00:26:45.457 --> 00:26:46.290
Hey.

00:26:46.897 --> 00:26:48.477
Are you guys leaving?

00:26:49.797 --> 00:26:49.907
No.

00:26:49.907 --> 00:26:50.740
No.

00:26:56.057 --> 00:26:58.298
Right. Did you try them?

00:27:01.058 --> 00:27:03.178
The brownies I made for you?

00:27:04.718 --> 00:27:05.551
Oh yeah.

00:27:05.718 --> 00:27:06.258
Yeah?

00:27:06.258 --> 00:27:09.278
Yeah. Tasty. Yeah. Yeah. They're great.

00:27:10.238 --> 00:27:14.318
Well, it's my mom's recipe. I
wasn't sure about the peanut butter.

00:27:14.398 --> 00:27:16.878
Beautiful.

00:27:21.378 --> 00:27:22.211
Beautiful.

00:27:24.358 --> 00:27:26.818
Oh, the brownies. Yeah,

00:27:29.018 --> 00:27:29.858
they were delicious.

00:27:33.598 --> 00:27:35.708
All righty, Romeo. We
really should be going.

00:27:36.378 --> 00:27:40.358
Oh, bummer. My mom surprised me with
my ice cream stand. Can you stay?

00:27:41.958 --> 00:27:43.698
You know, Lydia, there's
something different about you.

00:27:47.238 --> 00:27:49.418
I got it. Don't you
usually wear a retainer?

00:27:58.598 --> 00:27:59.738
Retainer? Really?

00:28:00.198 --> 00:28:03.638
Ice cream stand. Really? They
smear peanuts on everything.

00:28:04.018 --> 00:28:05.438
I can't hide my whole life.

00:28:05.738 --> 00:28:09.718
Yeah, but Zach, don't you see? You're
hiding right now. You have food allergies.

00:28:09.958 --> 00:28:11.278
They can be life-threatening.

00:28:11.658 --> 00:28:12.938
Allergies aren't who I am.

00:28:27.779 --> 00:28:30.039
Even though life with food
allergies is manageable,

00:28:30.739 --> 00:28:34.559
sometimes kids living with them have
to do things differently than others.

00:28:35.179 --> 00:28:37.779
I have never been to a
ice cream store before.

00:28:38.119 --> 00:28:42.399
My mom didn't quit eating peanuts
and nuts after I had your energy.

00:28:42.579 --> 00:28:47.459
It's donut day and using that
they're going to get donuts

00:28:47.499 --> 00:28:48.639
from a place that you can have.

00:28:48.999 --> 00:28:52.259
But then you end up seeing that they're
getting donuts from a place you can

00:28:52.319 --> 00:28:52.979
have.

00:28:52.979 --> 00:28:57.239
She still makes pecan pie for Thanksgiving
and the whole family still eats it

00:28:57.319 --> 00:28:59.920
except for me and my sister.
I really wanted the donut.

00:29:03.759 --> 00:29:06.379
So when I watch you clean the surface own,

00:29:06.499 --> 00:29:10.279
I can tell how important it is
to make sure everything is clean.

00:29:10.459 --> 00:29:13.179
That's just as important as not
eating the food you're allergic to.

00:29:13.519 --> 00:29:13.959
I mean,

00:29:13.959 --> 00:29:17.499
it's really important because there's
always that risk of cross-contamination

00:29:17.539 --> 00:29:20.019
with a lot of food. I'm
definitely allergic to nuts.

00:29:20.139 --> 00:29:24.239
So it's just like a little contact
or a little squeeze of orange juice,

00:29:24.299 --> 00:29:25.132
just like a little bit.

00:29:25.519 --> 00:29:28.759
To them, it's a little. It's a
little. You that can alter your life.

00:29:28.939 --> 00:29:33.219
We just didn't know just how one tiny,

00:29:33.519 --> 00:29:37.039
tiny little morsel can cause
such a severe reaction.

00:29:38.739 --> 00:29:39.572
I was naive.

00:29:39.899 --> 00:29:40.839
There was a napkin right here.

00:29:41.359 --> 00:29:42.699
There were like 20 napkins?

00:29:43.379 --> 00:29:44.979
No, this one was folded
up. It had something in it.

00:29:45.679 --> 00:29:46.679
Your mom was just here cleaning?

00:29:47.419 --> 00:29:49.299
No groves.

00:29:50.119 --> 00:29:50.952
Let me help you.

00:29:51.259 --> 00:29:52.092
Thanks.

00:29:52.099 --> 00:29:55.059
This happens all the time with my
sister's retainer. So it's like,

00:29:57.420 --> 00:29:58.253
what's this?

00:29:58.820 --> 00:29:59.653
You threw them away.

00:30:01.800 --> 00:30:05.140
I would've totally eaten them.
They're probably okay still.

00:30:10.560 --> 00:30:15.420
Found it. Hey, forget about him.

00:30:16.040 --> 00:30:18.900
It's your birthday. Come on,
let's go get some ice cream.

00:30:19.840 --> 00:30:24.720
People would want to go to a certain
burger place and I knew Anna couldn't go

00:30:24.940 --> 00:30:26.900
there and I was like,

00:30:26.960 --> 00:30:29.980
"Why do you want to go there
when we can go somewhere else?".

00:30:30.160 --> 00:30:32.420
It's little things like
that that make it difficult,

00:30:33.120 --> 00:30:37.960
just being in large groups and
having to say, "I can't eat there.

00:30:38.380 --> 00:30:42.960
I'm really sorry." It's kind of something
that everyone with food allergies has

00:30:43.020 --> 00:30:46.400
to deal with. They have to
sometimes deal with the teasing.

00:30:46.680 --> 00:30:51.120
They have to sometimes deal with
people not really listening or caring.

00:30:51.560 --> 00:30:56.240
We are here live in the kitchen with Owen
and Aiden and Owen is going to show us

00:30:56.300 --> 00:30:59.980
how to make his favorite recipe of
stuffed peppers. It's a family secret.

00:31:01.580 --> 00:31:02.620
I was about eight or nine.

00:31:02.840 --> 00:31:06.860
Owen said that we can't have sleepovers
because of his food allergies.

00:31:06.920 --> 00:31:10.740
It's too dangerous. I kind of
understood what would happen,

00:31:11.260 --> 00:31:12.220
but not really.

00:31:12.800 --> 00:31:15.980
I think it's okay for kids with
food allergies to have sleepovers,

00:31:16.120 --> 00:31:17.960
but it's just not for me.

00:31:19.200 --> 00:31:23.300
I try to stay away from seafood
restaurants because I know

00:31:24.460 --> 00:31:28.340
in there the cooking and
just everything in the air.

00:31:29.160 --> 00:31:30.521
There's been many times, of course,

00:31:30.581 --> 00:31:35.561
at lunch or at restaurants when a
friend or someone orders something that

00:31:35.581 --> 00:31:39.361
has my allergy and you just have
to almost politely say, "Hey,

00:31:40.121 --> 00:31:40.801
that has nothing.

00:31:40.801 --> 00:31:45.621
Is it okay if you just don't eat that
right now?" And it's hard to finally

00:31:45.661 --> 00:31:46.581
build up that courage.

00:31:46.781 --> 00:31:50.201
For volleyball, we were
on all day tournaments.

00:31:50.881 --> 00:31:55.381
We're not allowed to leave the
building. And I basically had to say,

00:31:57.101 --> 00:31:58.761
"There's not a choice in this.

00:31:59.441 --> 00:32:03.040
I have to bring my own food because
you cannot provide for me. ".

00:32:03.141 --> 00:32:05.801
So this is vegan, a whole vegan meal here.

00:32:06.001 --> 00:32:09.421
Normally when I do this, people can't
tell the difference unless you tell them,

00:32:09.581 --> 00:32:13.581
"Oh, this is a meat substitute." I
can't go to fast food restaurants.

00:32:13.901 --> 00:32:17.821
Everything they make has contact with
eggs and you know they love to put cheese

00:32:17.861 --> 00:32:18.761
on their hamburgers.

00:32:19.041 --> 00:32:19.874
This is

00:32:21.421 --> 00:32:26.421
my very first time standing
before anyone right now

00:32:26.481 --> 00:32:31.081
in this capacity. I'm so
grateful that Kansas City,

00:32:31.621 --> 00:32:34.961
the state of Missouri would even
think to do something like this,

00:32:35.441 --> 00:32:40.421
but this is one thing that you all
can actually do to save the lives

00:32:40.441 --> 00:32:44.061
of children that cannot
speak for themselves because
if there are no laws there

00:32:44.101 --> 00:32:47.221
to protect them, another
child like my son...

00:32:49.301 --> 00:32:50.134
Excuse me.

00:32:55.261 --> 00:32:56.094
Could die.

00:32:59.481 --> 00:33:02.342
I worked in the Bronx and
Thomas worked in the city.

00:33:02.642 --> 00:33:05.402
They would call one of us and
say, "Oh, he's having a reaction.

00:33:05.602 --> 00:33:10.002
Somebody needs to come here." And then
we find out, "Oh, the medicine is here,

00:33:10.242 --> 00:33:12.382
but it's not for us to
give it to your child.

00:33:12.522 --> 00:33:13.962
You have to give it to
your child." So I said,

00:33:14.022 --> 00:33:18.902
"You mean to tell me you call every
single..." So if five students in this

00:33:18.942 --> 00:33:20.242
facility right now had a reaction,

00:33:20.302 --> 00:33:23.862
you're going to call all of their parents
to come and give them the medicine?

00:33:24.162 --> 00:33:29.102
I want to bring Elijah's law to my
community to help parents feel more

00:33:29.122 --> 00:33:33.022
confident in leaving their children with
food allergies in a childcare setting.

00:33:34.462 --> 00:33:38.542
Been through this so many times now where
we're eating and she just looks at me

00:33:39.342 --> 00:33:43.082
and mom, my throat feels funny. It is so,

00:33:43.582 --> 00:33:48.302
so scary every single time
watching your child suffer and go

00:33:48.442 --> 00:33:51.282
through this and not
knowing if it will stop.

00:33:51.722 --> 00:33:56.502
My mom tries her hardest to keep me safe
and works really hard. It feels good.

00:33:59.640 --> 00:34:03.042
I feel like it's just kind of something
that people don't really think about.

00:34:03.302 --> 00:34:08.142
Like thank you so much for bringing
treats, but I can't eat those,

00:34:08.302 --> 00:34:10.262
which that's totally fine,

00:34:10.602 --> 00:34:14.882
but it can cause some anxiety
for me just being in those

00:34:14.922 --> 00:34:15.762
situations.

00:34:15.862 --> 00:34:20.062
There's a certain look on
their face when you just know

00:34:21.402 --> 00:34:25.022
they don't get it or you just know,

00:34:26.462 --> 00:34:29.603
oh, they're already annoyed with
me. I feel bad about myself.

00:34:30.163 --> 00:34:33.943
Anxiety disorders can happen not only in
the parent who's having to care for the

00:34:33.983 --> 00:34:36.823
child, but also then in the child.

00:34:37.203 --> 00:34:39.723
The child often becomes
very fearful of food.

00:34:40.163 --> 00:34:42.363
They don't want to go
out to social situations.

00:34:42.423 --> 00:34:43.943
They don't want to go to birthday parties.

00:34:44.003 --> 00:34:47.163
They just want to be home in safe places.

00:34:47.223 --> 00:34:52.163
A colleague told me about a
child who was about 12 who was

00:34:52.243 --> 00:34:56.763
so fearful of having a reaction that
they wouldn't even go to bed without

00:34:56.923 --> 00:34:58.943
holding onto their
epinephrine auto injector.

00:34:59.243 --> 00:35:04.063
You'll often see them become
much more isolated and turn down

00:35:04.143 --> 00:35:08.903
social situations. You can
get help and it can be better.

00:35:09.323 --> 00:35:13.083
Is it frustrating to meet other
kids who don't get it? Yeah.

00:35:13.143 --> 00:35:13.976
Do you feel protective?

00:35:14.703 --> 00:35:15.883
Yeah, I definitely do.

00:35:16.243 --> 00:35:20.303
They might have the item that he's
allergic to right in front of him,

00:35:20.383 --> 00:35:22.743
maybe taunting him to try and get it,

00:35:22.803 --> 00:35:25.323
and then that's when you
realize they don't understand.

00:35:25.683 --> 00:35:29.823
It makes it even harder on kids that
these harmful stigmas are played out on

00:35:29.883 --> 00:35:34.703
television and in the movies by creators
reflecting a culture that doesn't

00:35:34.743 --> 00:35:37.403
understand the seriousness
of food allergies.

00:35:37.783 --> 00:35:39.183
As a food allergy mom,

00:35:39.983 --> 00:35:44.783
I wish I could show you the
movie clips and how they portray

00:35:44.963 --> 00:35:49.223
food allergies, but because
of copyright reasons, I can't.

00:35:50.223 --> 00:35:52.523
But trust me, just search for it.

00:35:53.363 --> 00:35:56.803
There are examples all over media. Movies,

00:35:57.243 --> 00:36:01.404
kids' movies, cartoons, television shows,

00:36:01.864 --> 00:36:03.404
kids' TV shows,

00:36:04.024 --> 00:36:07.604
even comedians making
fun of food allergies.

00:36:07.764 --> 00:36:08.884
The comedic license,

00:36:09.364 --> 00:36:14.304
I get it as long as people
understand the totality of it.

00:36:14.384 --> 00:36:18.444
Just breaks your heart because
that is not who these kids are.

00:36:18.764 --> 00:36:19.704
There is a grownup.

00:36:19.844 --> 00:36:24.044
He's saying we better go wash our
hands so we don't kill anyone,

00:36:24.104 --> 00:36:26.024
meaning the kid with food allergies.

00:36:26.164 --> 00:36:30.504
The continuously show food allergies
or asthma in this kind of a light

00:36:31.604 --> 00:36:33.204
is to me just wrong.

00:36:33.404 --> 00:36:36.784
My career was built on being
strong. Strong is a bus.

00:36:37.344 --> 00:36:41.324
I'm living proof that people who live
with food allergies are not complaining

00:36:41.404 --> 00:36:42.237
weaklings.

00:36:43.884 --> 00:36:47.004
Thank you for the mission that you've
been on and making such a difference for

00:36:47.064 --> 00:36:47.824
young people.

00:36:47.824 --> 00:36:51.280
I think the chances of it being
passed in Kansas City is 90%.

00:36:51.884 --> 00:36:55.624
The state of Misouri, in my opinion,

00:36:55.684 --> 00:36:59.264
is going to be a little bit more
difficult and it may take a few tries.

00:36:59.444 --> 00:37:04.064
Implementing this at a federal level
would be a big challenge to get everybody

00:37:04.124 --> 00:37:04.957
on board.

00:37:05.124 --> 00:37:09.464
One of the most harmful results of people
not understanding the severity of food

00:37:09.524 --> 00:37:14.364
allergies is when they use their
allergy to make someone feel bad or even

00:37:14.464 --> 00:37:15.544
hurt them physically.

00:37:15.724 --> 00:37:19.264
Sadly, bullying with food allergies
becoming more and more of a problem.

00:37:20.664 --> 00:37:25.104
Kids are using food allergy as another
way to be mean and nasty to each other.

00:37:25.324 --> 00:37:29.925
So many children have
had stories about someone

00:37:29.985 --> 00:37:34.565
accidentally gave them the allergen or
purposefully gave them the allergen.

00:37:34.945 --> 00:37:39.205
I was in the lunchroom and all the
kids in my class and other classes,

00:37:39.265 --> 00:37:44.025
they were all trading snacks around. And
it's like they were like, "Hey, Owen,

00:37:44.085 --> 00:37:45.525
you want to trade snacks?"
And I was like, "No,

00:37:45.645 --> 00:37:48.805
I'm sorry." And they just kept shoving
it into my face. They're like, "Well,

00:37:48.865 --> 00:37:50.505
what would happen if you
did take this snack?".

00:37:50.745 --> 00:37:55.145
People don't take it seriously, and
that's when mistakes like that happen.

00:37:55.225 --> 00:37:57.885
Gummy bears. Lydia. And

00:38:00.325 --> 00:38:05.245
peanuts. Lots of peanuts.
So this jerk will go away.

00:38:09.165 --> 00:38:12.885
Zach, you lied to me. In the trash?

00:38:13.625 --> 00:38:14.445
These are nut free.

00:38:14.445 --> 00:38:16.945
I made a whole batch just for you when
you tossed them in with the gross old

00:38:17.045 --> 00:38:19.165
burgers and hot dogs. How could you?

00:38:20.485 --> 00:38:24.705
Lydia. I'm sorry.

00:38:26.605 --> 00:38:28.945
I wanted to eat them. I did, but I did.

00:38:29.005 --> 00:38:31.665
It's too late. It's too late for
sorry. Sorry's already in the garbage.

00:38:34.945 --> 00:38:36.925
Afraid of some stupid peanuts, huh?

00:38:40.885 --> 00:38:43.525
Thanks for ruining
Lydia's birthday. Loser.

00:38:53.445 --> 00:38:55.505
Whatever. Okay. It was
just a couple of peanuts.

00:38:55.885 --> 00:38:57.105
So what if he gets a little sick?

00:38:59.046 --> 00:39:03.926
Anaphylaxis is a allergic
reaction that happens rapidly.

00:39:04.786 --> 00:39:09.166
So usually pretty immediately after
you eat the food and then it progresses

00:39:09.226 --> 00:39:10.059
rapidly.

00:39:10.266 --> 00:39:13.366
So you could get hives and then all of
a sudden your throat feels like it's

00:39:13.426 --> 00:39:15.826
closing and then trouble
breathing and then get dizzy.

00:39:16.166 --> 00:39:17.886
I just started to eat my hamburger.

00:39:18.206 --> 00:39:21.646
It was just a French toast. I've
never had a problem with French toast.

00:39:21.846 --> 00:39:24.606
She took one bite and told
me her throat was hurting.

00:39:24.826 --> 00:39:26.326
It was like a wave crashing over me.

00:39:26.726 --> 00:39:31.206
I immediately got a phone call
from the teacher and I told

00:39:31.686 --> 00:39:32.606
her that he needed to be epid.

00:39:32.866 --> 00:39:35.886
They made me walk all the
way down to the nurse office.

00:39:36.346 --> 00:39:39.326
You're just watching, waiting
for something else to happen.

00:39:39.626 --> 00:39:41.586
The nurse was just like, no,

00:39:41.706 --> 00:39:44.846
there's no symptoms so I
don't think you have to epi.

00:39:45.366 --> 00:39:47.946
I screamed, pop in my lungs.

00:39:49.006 --> 00:39:51.266
EpiPen him now. I.

00:39:51.706 --> 00:39:53.826
Threw up 20 times by the end of the day.

00:39:54.366 --> 00:39:56.326
And can be very serious
and life-threatening.

00:39:56.686 --> 00:40:01.466
And Giles heard it through the receiver
and pulled out his injector and did it

00:40:01.506 --> 00:40:02.666
himself for the first time.

00:40:03.026 --> 00:40:05.506
I'd rather EpiPen it myself than risk it.

00:40:06.006 --> 00:40:08.566
It was definitely one of the
scariest moments of my life.

00:40:08.706 --> 00:40:13.446
It gave me peace of mind that he's going
to know what to do because he proved

00:40:13.686 --> 00:40:14.519
that he knows what to do.

00:40:20.320 --> 00:40:22.926
Zach, Zach, Zach, what happened?

00:40:25.886 --> 00:40:30.367
One of the best ways to avoid a dangerous
allergic reaction to food is by being

00:40:30.407 --> 00:40:32.047
prepared. Have a plan.

00:40:32.887 --> 00:40:35.947
I have my own playbook for how
I manage my food allergies.

00:40:36.607 --> 00:40:41.207
I stay away from shellfish and always
carry an epinephrine autoinjector.

00:40:48.687 --> 00:40:52.787
Feed, elevate. Listen,

00:40:53.987 --> 00:40:54.820
call 911. I want to.

00:40:55.327 --> 00:40:58.967
Know. Wht's in that appetizer? Okay.

00:40:59.387 --> 00:41:00.467
I'm allergic shellfish.

00:41:00.627 --> 00:41:01.727
For parties at school,

00:41:01.887 --> 00:41:05.167
we had a pizza party and we had
to make sure the dough was safe.

00:41:05.447 --> 00:41:10.347
One thing that I do in my family is
having a specific set of foods and a

00:41:10.407 --> 00:41:15.047
specific set of ingredients that
I can always eat. Chicken, salad,

00:41:15.427 --> 00:41:18.747
and just apples because who
doesn't like apples? Well,

00:41:18.807 --> 00:41:22.607
my original idea was a jambalaya.
And then I thought, hey,

00:41:22.747 --> 00:41:25.767
what would happen if I decided
to stuff it inside of a pepper?

00:41:26.227 --> 00:41:27.847
And that's how I came up with this recipe.

00:41:28.067 --> 00:41:32.487
It's kind of like you paid tribute to
your Louisiana roots with a classic recipe

00:41:32.627 --> 00:41:34.787
and it has kind of a Cajun twist to it.

00:41:35.527 --> 00:41:36.787
When Giles first attended school,

00:41:36.847 --> 00:41:41.207
we had meetings prior to going just to
make sure they were going to be able to

00:41:42.007 --> 00:41:43.187
protect him and keep him safe.

00:41:43.407 --> 00:41:47.807
All the kids in his grade would
use baby wipes after lunch

00:41:48.347 --> 00:41:50.567
to wipe their hands and wipe their lips.

00:41:50.847 --> 00:41:54.907
Giles was not allowed to touch
the doors or any of the railings.

00:41:55.227 --> 00:41:58.147
So there was always a signed
door holder and it was never him.

00:41:58.747 --> 00:41:59.708
When I was younger,

00:42:00.048 --> 00:42:04.088
I just thought that my mom didn't know
how to read because I would always ask

00:42:04.148 --> 00:42:06.988
her to check like, "Hey mom,
does this have nuts in it?

00:42:07.048 --> 00:42:09.748
Can you check?" And she would
read it and say, "Oh no. Yeah,

00:42:09.808 --> 00:42:13.288
it's totally fine." And I would look at
it and read it myself and I would see

00:42:13.308 --> 00:42:15.968
and it says clearly contains
peanuts. And I'd be like,

00:42:16.268 --> 00:42:18.788
"How did you not see this? If I ate
this, I could have had a reaction.

00:42:19.008 --> 00:42:19.888
Until I got older,

00:42:19.948 --> 00:42:24.728
I realized that she was just doing that
because that would make me double check

00:42:24.768 --> 00:42:28.028
it because you should always double
check it and not rely on someone else to

00:42:28.788 --> 00:42:29.621
read it for you.

00:42:30.008 --> 00:42:32.588
I always check flakles.
I do it every time.

00:42:36.528 --> 00:42:38.988
Three main goals for
Elijah's law was access,

00:42:39.288 --> 00:42:43.428
that all childcare facilities would have
access to an autoinjector epinephrine

00:42:43.448 --> 00:42:46.188
pen in the event that there
was a food allergy emergency.

00:42:46.888 --> 00:42:48.488
Their second one was education,

00:42:49.008 --> 00:42:52.988
that all childcare providers were
educated on the process for identifying

00:42:53.508 --> 00:42:55.908
allergy reactions and then equity.

00:42:56.488 --> 00:42:59.128
That regardless of where that
childcare facility is located,

00:42:59.528 --> 00:43:02.948
that everyone and every parent that
drops their child off at a childcare

00:43:02.968 --> 00:43:06.348
facility knows their child is
being left safe and in good hands.

00:43:07.228 --> 00:43:12.228
The Elijah's Law is really important,
not just to the Elijah Levy Foundation,

00:43:12.288 --> 00:43:15.808
myself and all those
who've contributed to it,

00:43:15.988 --> 00:43:18.728
but it's important to this country.

00:43:19.188 --> 00:43:24.188
Dina is such a powerhouse and she's such

00:43:24.328 --> 00:43:25.428
a source of strength.

00:43:26.008 --> 00:43:29.889
She is not only going to change lives,

00:43:29.969 --> 00:43:31.569
she is saving lives.

00:43:32.009 --> 00:43:34.149
Well, we finished our peppers,

00:43:34.249 --> 00:43:37.709
but I do believe that I have a surprise.

00:43:37.849 --> 00:43:40.209
Ooh, I love to... Oh, Aiden is back.

00:43:40.589 --> 00:43:41.169
Yes.

00:43:41.169 --> 00:43:42.049
What are we looking at?

00:43:42.529 --> 00:43:47.429
Well, in honor of my Louisiana roots,
I decided to do a Louisiana tradition.

00:43:47.929 --> 00:43:52.709
The dessert, the pastry, the world
acclaimed world-famous beignet. Oh.

00:43:53.120 --> 00:43:54.109
I love beignets.

00:43:54.309 --> 00:43:55.109
With a twist.

00:43:55.109 --> 00:43:55.629
Okay.

00:43:55.629 --> 00:43:56.462
They're vegan.

00:43:56.549 --> 00:43:59.109
Vegan beignets. That's even better. I'm.

00:43:59.329 --> 00:44:03.469
From Louisiana and we have a lot
of flavors down in the South.

00:44:03.789 --> 00:44:07.289
It's just so easy to make
a really hearty dish,

00:44:07.649 --> 00:44:11.429
not using a whole lot of ingredients
that contains a whole lot of flavor.

00:44:13.089 --> 00:44:17.009
But no matter how hard you try, you
may eat the wrong thing by accident.

00:44:17.249 --> 00:44:22.229
I remember sprinting to my room and
hiding under my bed and I was bawling.

00:44:22.449 --> 00:44:24.969
I was so scared. 10
minutes later here come.

00:44:25.569 --> 00:44:29.889
I hear the sirens and firefighters
and police officers and

00:44:30.829 --> 00:44:33.269
all the emergency
medical vehicles show up.

00:44:33.369 --> 00:44:34.989
Stay calm and follow your emergency plan.

00:44:36.129 --> 00:44:40.709
I'm at a restaurant I'm not familiar
with. I'm looking at the menu.

00:44:41.209 --> 00:44:44.849
I'm checking to see what's on the menu.

00:44:45.829 --> 00:44:48.769
Where's the risk of possible
cross-contamination?

00:44:49.089 --> 00:44:53.369
So I am very conscious and diligent,

00:44:53.649 --> 00:44:56.229
and that's kind of the start of my plan.

00:44:56.409 --> 00:45:00.110
Everyone with food allergies should
have an anaphylaxis action plan.

00:45:00.350 --> 00:45:04.110
And it tells you clearly if you
have certain signs and symptoms,

00:45:04.530 --> 00:45:06.310
then this is what you do.

00:45:06.710 --> 00:45:10.350
You should also train yourself in
using your epinephrine autoinjector.

00:45:10.730 --> 00:45:13.410
There's multiple different
types now and practice.

00:45:13.910 --> 00:45:18.750
A lot of times what we do is we take
oranges or grapefruit so you can actually

00:45:18.850 --> 00:45:23.280
feel the pressure and you can see that
you don't see the needle. Five, four,

00:45:23.400 --> 00:45:27.050
three. Those are important steps
to help you feel more comfortable.

00:45:27.170 --> 00:45:31.510
Well, it's blue to the sky,
orange to the thigh, blue cap off,

00:45:31.950 --> 00:45:36.610
and you press. One 1000,
21000. Yeah, of course you can.

00:45:37.350 --> 00:45:40.490
If you're in doubt, you always
use the epinephrine autoinjector.

00:45:40.770 --> 00:45:42.110
Never hesitate too long.

00:45:42.550 --> 00:45:46.830
I used to carry it in a little
green bag just for epinephrine.

00:45:46.950 --> 00:45:49.370
You carry it with you just
like you carry your cell phone.

00:45:49.670 --> 00:45:53.450
Blue to the sky. Orange to the thigh.

00:45:56.260 --> 00:45:56.690
Do it.

00:45:56.690 --> 00:45:57.390
Again?

00:45:57.390 --> 00:45:58.223
No.

00:45:58.570 --> 00:46:02.830
A critical part of overcoming obstacles
around food allergies is to not be

00:46:02.910 --> 00:46:06.530
ashamed of them and to be a strong
advocate to keep yourself safe.

00:46:06.610 --> 00:46:11.610
What is so beautiful about these children
are they are some of the strongest

00:46:11.710 --> 00:46:12.543
I've ever met.

00:46:12.610 --> 00:46:13.710
Ever since I was young,

00:46:14.950 --> 00:46:19.950
I look back and always just remember
my mom making me ask the waiter and

00:46:19.990 --> 00:46:21.230
tell them my order.

00:46:21.690 --> 00:46:24.831
They were better advocates
for themselves and others.

00:46:24.930 --> 00:46:29.510
Now I'm a better advocate for myself
and I'm not afraid to tell a waiter

00:46:29.691 --> 00:46:30.791
about my food allergy.

00:46:31.351 --> 00:46:36.271
I have to reiterate and be diligent in

00:46:36.311 --> 00:46:40.811
the explanation so that they
understand my seriousness.

00:46:41.091 --> 00:46:44.771
And then the second thing
was they had more empathy.

00:46:45.111 --> 00:46:49.911
They understood others who had
conditions because everybody's got

00:46:49.971 --> 00:46:52.811
something. They also said other
things like they eat healthier,

00:46:52.891 --> 00:46:53.891
which is always a good thing.

00:46:54.771 --> 00:46:59.551
But there are positive attributes
if we can empower these kids to

00:46:59.651 --> 00:47:00.484
take them on.

00:47:00.571 --> 00:47:02.831
Hi everyone. Thank you
so, so much for coming.

00:47:03.251 --> 00:47:06.471
I couldn't be more excited to talk to
you about my journey with food allergies.

00:47:08.731 --> 00:47:11.651
I have entered several recipe
contests over the years.

00:47:12.031 --> 00:47:16.071
I entered in the last year of
the Healthy Lunchtime Challenge.

00:47:16.331 --> 00:47:21.171
I did a Uncle Ben's recipe contest. I
did the Healthiest Kid Chef in America,

00:47:21.431 --> 00:47:23.251
and I've also competed on Chopped Junior.

00:47:23.571 --> 00:47:28.031
Everyone was incorporating eggs and
using other substances I'm allergic to in

00:47:28.071 --> 00:47:31.571
their batter. That meant that I
couldn't use the singular fryer.

00:47:31.911 --> 00:47:34.831
So that meant I had to change up
my recipe and try something new.

00:47:35.131 --> 00:47:37.231
It turned out pretty
good if I say so myself.

00:47:39.131 --> 00:47:43.371
With Anna being allergic to a
good amount of very common foods,

00:47:43.851 --> 00:47:48.631
it's made me very aware of
how common food allergies

00:47:48.751 --> 00:47:53.051
are and also how to be more sensitive
to other people when I don't know their

00:47:53.132 --> 00:47:53.965
struggles.

00:47:54.192 --> 00:47:57.772
And if someone is bullying or
threatening you with your food allergen,

00:47:58.252 --> 00:48:00.712
it's important to step
up and protect yourself.

00:48:01.072 --> 00:48:04.652
It is a literal matter of life and death.

00:48:05.292 --> 00:48:09.452
Although it's very rare, kids
have died from food allergies.

00:48:09.672 --> 00:48:14.352
Hold on. My friend is having
a bad reaction to a nut
allergy. Please come quick.

00:48:14.432 --> 00:48:14.832
Dude.

00:48:14.832 --> 00:48:15.665
What's wrong with you?

00:48:16.272 --> 00:48:19.852
It's called the anaphylaxis
dope. Allergies? Yeah. Yeah,

00:48:19.952 --> 00:48:24.872
I think he swallowed some. Someone
smashed him into his face. On crumb? Yeah,

00:48:26.152 --> 00:48:26.932
on purpose.

00:48:26.932 --> 00:48:29.112
It was only a couple of peanuts.

00:48:30.372 --> 00:48:33.600
One crumb. Even only peanut
dust can cause him to react.

00:48:50.232 --> 00:48:53.612
One episode happened here in
Chicago in a Chicago public school.

00:48:54.652 --> 00:48:59.432
The school was having a holiday
party and ordering out and they told

00:49:00.232 --> 00:49:03.332
the restaurant about the
child's peanut allergy. However,

00:49:04.152 --> 00:49:08.452
something had peanut in it and the
child took a couple bites and went into

00:49:08.552 --> 00:49:12.852
anaphylaxis and before the EMS
could get there passed away.

00:49:13.052 --> 00:49:15.972
Now they did not have epinephrine
in the school at the time.

00:49:16.612 --> 00:49:21.572
And what ended up happening after that
is Chicago public schools said never

00:49:21.632 --> 00:49:22.465
again.

00:49:22.712 --> 00:49:27.552
And the law passed that now has
spread around the country to have

00:49:27.652 --> 00:49:31.333
epinephrine autoinjectors
stock in schools.

00:49:39.113 --> 00:49:42.793
Is he going to be okay? He was prepared.

00:49:44.093 --> 00:49:44.926
Thank God.

00:49:46.313 --> 00:49:49.153
But I just don't really understand.

00:49:49.753 --> 00:49:53.613
I made him brownies without peanut
butter. Why did he throw them away?

00:49:54.673 --> 00:49:56.053
It's called cross contact.

00:49:57.273 --> 00:50:01.253
If Zach's food touches any
peanuts at all at any time,

00:50:02.273 --> 00:50:03.193
it'll cause a reaction.

00:50:05.033 --> 00:50:08.753
Did you use the same spoon or pans
as you used to make the peanut butter

00:50:08.773 --> 00:50:09.606
brownies?

00:50:10.733 --> 00:50:11.566
I don't know.

00:50:12.353 --> 00:50:14.853
Exactly. You don't know.

00:50:16.773 --> 00:50:18.293
And Zach can't take that risk.

00:50:19.033 --> 00:50:23.813
Honestly, before I grew up, I didn't
really know what cross-contamination was.

00:50:23.913 --> 00:50:27.753
I just knew that there were some labels
on products saying this may have had

00:50:27.833 --> 00:50:31.253
contact with peanuts or something.
And I never knew really what it meant.

00:50:31.313 --> 00:50:33.013
I'm like, okay, I
touched peanuts. So what?

00:50:34.433 --> 00:50:37.153
Most of Giles' friends don't
know about cross contact.

00:50:37.713 --> 00:50:38.853
I didn't know until he told me.

00:50:39.233 --> 00:50:43.433
At basketball camp, I was
probably around 10, 11 years old.

00:50:43.553 --> 00:50:45.873
They're eating one of those peanut
butter and jelly sandwiches,

00:50:46.053 --> 00:50:47.813
which of course I've been around before.

00:50:48.413 --> 00:50:52.714
But I think the misunderstanding was when
I asked them to maybe wash their hands

00:50:52.773 --> 00:50:54.594
before we all touched the same basketball,

00:50:55.114 --> 00:51:00.014
they didn't fully understand that
cross-contact can travel from

00:51:00.274 --> 00:51:02.614
your hands, the allergen to the ball.

00:51:04.194 --> 00:51:08.374
Not being from Louisiana, did they ever
serve these with ice cream? No. No?

00:51:09.394 --> 00:51:10.774
Such judgment in the eyes.

00:51:11.654 --> 00:51:14.774
Any sort of cross contact is a no-go.

00:51:15.314 --> 00:51:19.474
I cannot whatsoever. Even just the
tiniest bit of it will set it off.

00:51:19.994 --> 00:51:23.534
I actually have never been
to an ice cream shop before.

00:51:23.994 --> 00:51:26.074
I hadn't thought about
that until just now.

00:51:26.234 --> 00:51:28.254
Would you have to ask for
a whole separate scooper?

00:51:29.214 --> 00:51:30.074
You would. I mean,

00:51:30.294 --> 00:51:33.854
osionally they could have different
scoopers for different flavors, but -.

00:51:34.014 --> 00:51:34.847
I've never seen that.

00:51:34.894 --> 00:51:38.594
There's always a chance of
it, but there's always chefs.

00:51:38.654 --> 00:51:41.654
They will always try to
make it as safe as possible.

00:51:41.754 --> 00:51:43.074
If they initiate it,

00:51:43.634 --> 00:51:47.614
it makes the people eating at the
restaurant feel so much more comfortable

00:51:47.854 --> 00:51:50.294
answering that question instead
of saying, "Oh, excuse me.

00:51:51.314 --> 00:51:53.654
Let me tell you about my allergy." We.

00:51:53.914 --> 00:51:57.154
Were at dinner and I love
pasta. It's my favorite food.

00:51:58.014 --> 00:52:02.594
And the chef came up to us and asked
us what we wanted to order. And I said,

00:52:02.914 --> 00:52:04.274
"Whatever your best pasta is,

00:52:04.354 --> 00:52:08.694
but I have no allergy." And he told me
that this was going to be the best pasta

00:52:08.834 --> 00:52:12.454
I've ever had. And I remember I took
that first bite and I knew he was right.

00:52:12.574 --> 00:52:16.314
It was the best pasta I've ever
had. And we took a picture together.

00:52:18.614 --> 00:52:20.934
I am really concerned about college.

00:52:21.535 --> 00:52:24.755
As I go on college visits and as I

00:52:26.295 --> 00:52:31.175
go to actual kitchens and dorm rooms
and see the food that they provide,

00:52:32.795 --> 00:52:36.275
it will basically make or
break whether I can go there.

00:52:36.595 --> 00:52:41.475
If I have an allergic
reaction and I am across

00:52:41.555 --> 00:52:43.895
the country, I will be totally alone.

00:52:45.315 --> 00:52:47.575
And that's something that terrifies me.

00:52:48.195 --> 00:52:50.695
Because me and my sister
had food allergies,

00:52:50.775 --> 00:52:54.735
my mom ended up starting an organization,
but not just for food allergies,

00:52:55.155 --> 00:52:57.995
for dietary needs and
special dietary needs.

00:52:58.275 --> 00:53:01.035
And it would all be affordable.

00:53:01.095 --> 00:53:04.955
Another way we can help overcome the
stigmas around food allergies is by

00:53:05.095 --> 00:53:08.095
understanding that they are
different than food sensitivities.

00:53:08.255 --> 00:53:13.235
The most common thing when we walk
into a restaurant and say we have food

00:53:13.295 --> 00:53:15.635
allergies, they'll say, "Oh,

00:53:15.715 --> 00:53:19.915
we have a gluten-free menu."
Okay, that's great you have that.

00:53:20.235 --> 00:53:22.135
That doesn't help us in our condition.

00:53:22.855 --> 00:53:27.775
To truly understand that food allergies
is an immune-mediated reaction

00:53:28.135 --> 00:53:32.695
where your immune system is
recognizing this food protein as an

00:53:32.735 --> 00:53:35.835
invader. So it's attacking.
It's going on full attack.

00:53:36.295 --> 00:53:40.775
And that means severe symptoms
many times and potentially

00:53:40.835 --> 00:53:41.955
life-threatening symptoms.

00:53:42.015 --> 00:53:46.895
And I think differentiating all
these food conditions and helping

00:53:46.955 --> 00:53:51.856
people better understand what they are
and what happens when you do have a

00:53:51.975 --> 00:53:55.836
true immune-mediated food
allergy is really important.

00:53:56.095 --> 00:53:56.928
How are you feeling?

00:53:58.656 --> 00:53:59.489
Good now.

00:54:03.360 --> 00:54:05.556
I want to apologize about earlier.

00:54:07.596 --> 00:54:12.516
I was being bossy and maybe a
little possessive and weird at the

00:54:12.556 --> 00:54:13.389
party.

00:54:13.416 --> 00:54:16.276
I should have listened to
you. I should have left,

00:54:16.436 --> 00:54:18.396
but you were being a little bossy.

00:54:21.836 --> 00:54:24.616
I guess I was just worried.

00:54:25.736 --> 00:54:29.886
I thought maybe you'd replace me
with a girl whose first initial is L.

00:54:31.556 --> 00:54:35.676
N. Never. You Aubrey are irreplaceable.

00:54:47.276 --> 00:54:49.756
Even though it's important to
take food allergies seriously,

00:54:50.256 --> 00:54:52.936
there is no reason to live
in constant fear of them.

00:54:53.676 --> 00:54:56.556
I definitely used to live
in more fear than I do now.

00:54:56.876 --> 00:55:01.776
We've gotten a better handle on it
and I now know the medicine works

00:55:02.416 --> 00:55:05.836
and as long as we use
it, he should be okay.

00:55:07.496 --> 00:55:10.076
You can't just shelter
yourself your whole life.

00:55:10.196 --> 00:55:14.196
You have to sometimes try
new things and be brave.

00:55:14.496 --> 00:55:15.836
I remember when I was younger,

00:55:16.096 --> 00:55:19.856
my mom always made me talk to the waiters
at restaurants and tell them about my

00:55:19.916 --> 00:55:24.097
food allergy, ask them what I want to
order. And I remember I always hated it,

00:55:24.177 --> 00:55:28.096
but now I really appreciate her making
me do that because now I know how to

00:55:28.237 --> 00:55:29.777
advocate for my food allergies.

00:55:30.277 --> 00:55:33.257
When you live with food allergies,
you have a lot to deal with,

00:55:33.817 --> 00:55:36.037
but the obstacles are not insurmountable.

00:55:36.797 --> 00:55:41.777
Don't be afraid to let everyone
know because having four or

00:55:41.877 --> 00:55:42.337
five,

00:55:42.337 --> 00:55:47.077
six sets of eyes is much better
than just having one set of eyes.

00:55:47.137 --> 00:55:51.937
Hi everyone. Thank you so much for being
here today. My name is Anna Stover.

00:55:52.477 --> 00:55:55.797
I am a member of Just Like You
Films Youth Advisory Board,

00:55:55.977 --> 00:56:00.517
and I'm really excited for you
to see the short clip of our new

00:56:00.657 --> 00:56:01.217
film.

00:56:01.217 --> 00:56:05.277
I haven't necessarily always been super
confident about talking about my food

00:56:05.337 --> 00:56:10.117
allergies and this film really just
gave me the opportunity to tell my

00:56:10.217 --> 00:56:15.097
story and I really hope that you
guys enjoy it and that it helps teach

00:56:15.177 --> 00:56:17.117
other people about food
allergies in the future.

00:56:17.517 --> 00:56:21.357
Well, in that case, I brought someone.

00:56:26.057 --> 00:56:26.890
Hi.

00:56:27.677 --> 00:56:28.510
Hey.

00:56:30.337 --> 00:56:32.077
Zach. I'm sorry.

00:56:32.597 --> 00:56:35.317
Yeah. I should have told
you. It's not your fault.

00:56:35.777 --> 00:56:36.697
Thanks for saying that.

00:56:40.717 --> 00:56:42.157
Oh, I almost forgot.

00:56:48.317 --> 00:56:50.998
It's my best birthday gift ever.

00:56:57.718 --> 00:56:58.898
Lydia, wait.

00:57:01.698 --> 00:57:05.118
I have an idea and I was thinking
maybe I could use your help.

00:57:06.478 --> 00:57:10.578
I look back now seeing firsthand
the seriousness of Jiles' reaction.

00:57:12.098 --> 00:57:15.398
And I can't believe I though it was
funny to put ketchup and mustard on Gil's

00:57:15.478 --> 00:57:19.138
ashrey. I know now that making
fun of food allergies isn't funny.

00:57:19.298 --> 00:57:21.798
They are no joke. They just aren't funny.

00:57:21.978 --> 00:57:25.438
When I was in the hospital, Charlie
sent me a video saying like,

00:57:26.918 --> 00:57:29.218
"It'll be all right. You can do it.

00:57:29.498 --> 00:57:31.678
Just keep on fighting,"
or something like that.

00:57:32.458 --> 00:57:36.218
It made me pretty happy to know
that my friends were there for me.

00:57:36.898 --> 00:57:38.578
Thank you so much, Charlie.

00:57:39.098 --> 00:57:42.638
Feel super bad you still had to go to
school the next day after all of the

00:57:42.658 --> 00:57:43.491
medicine you had.

00:57:44.038 --> 00:57:44.998
Yep. It was awful.

00:57:46.478 --> 00:57:51.398
My wife is great about my food
allergies because she'll a lot of

00:57:51.438 --> 00:57:55.998
times at the restaurant tell the waiter
waitress before I get a chance to tell

00:57:56.038 --> 00:57:56.398
them.

00:57:56.398 --> 00:57:59.958
One thing that my friend didn't like,

00:58:00.458 --> 00:58:04.038
she reminded people not to bring
Kenny like and have to have a party.

00:58:04.598 --> 00:58:05.758
That made me feel great.

00:58:05.878 --> 00:58:10.138
I would tell you to not
think of them weirdly,

00:58:11.138 --> 00:58:12.638
to think of them as human.

00:58:13.138 --> 00:58:13.878
I wrote this book,

00:58:13.878 --> 00:58:17.978
The Class That Canned Food Allergies a
couple years ago because I knew what it

00:58:17.998 --> 00:58:20.138
was like to be sitting in that classroom.

00:58:20.538 --> 00:58:22.659
All the eyes are on you
getting that food allergy talk.

00:58:22.878 --> 00:58:27.359
And I really just wanted to break that
stigma that food allergies are all that

00:58:27.399 --> 00:58:31.719
you are. That's what defines you. Cannes
mindset is that you are who you are,

00:58:32.099 --> 00:58:35.479
not who you're not, not how you
can live in the land of can.

00:58:35.939 --> 00:58:40.459
I want the world to know that kids with
food allergies are just like everybody

00:58:40.639 --> 00:58:42.659
else. They're just like you.

00:58:47.219 --> 00:58:50.079
Kids with food allergies
just want to be included.

00:58:51.239 --> 00:58:53.999
They want to fit in and
they want to be liked.

00:58:54.379 --> 00:58:58.919
I usually start out some of my talks by
asking the entire room to stand up if

00:58:58.939 --> 00:59:01.459
there's something, anything
that they can't do.

00:59:02.379 --> 00:59:05.639
And usually everyone stands
up, but there's always,

00:59:06.379 --> 00:59:09.979
always a group of people that don't
stand up. And I just tell those people,

00:59:10.359 --> 00:59:13.339
"Okay, stand up and do a cartwheel
for me. " Most of the time they can't.

00:59:13.819 --> 00:59:17.519
I can't eat nuts. That's just my thing.
You might not be able to do a cartwheel,

00:59:17.719 --> 00:59:18.552
but I can.

00:59:18.639 --> 00:59:20.079
Friends are heroes.

00:59:21.159 --> 00:59:25.939
Teachers and staff in school who
support that child are heroes.

00:59:27.019 --> 00:59:30.579
The doctors and nurses who care
for that child are the heroes.

00:59:31.559 --> 00:59:36.519
The restaurants with wait
staff and chefs who ask the

00:59:36.579 --> 00:59:41.439
questions at the table and make
sure to use separate equipment and

00:59:41.999 --> 00:59:46.659
reassure kids that their food is
going to be safe are the heroes.

00:59:46.999 --> 00:59:48.219
Everybody's different, right?

00:59:48.459 --> 00:59:52.519
So I think the best thing to do is to
ask your friend how she would want to be

00:59:52.599 --> 00:59:57.160
treated, understand her food allergy and
not get annoyed when asking the waiter

00:59:57.920 --> 01:00:01.180
and also ordering something that
doesn't Have her allergen in it.

01:00:01.600 --> 01:00:05.020
So that's the best way that she can feel
safe and you can just have a good time.

01:00:05.460 --> 01:00:09.640
Perhaps the most important way to create
a kinder world for people living with

01:00:09.680 --> 01:00:13.060
food allergies is to educate
as many people as we can.

01:00:14.560 --> 01:00:17.800
Hi everyone. Please check out Zach's live.

01:00:18.560 --> 01:00:22.860
It would mean a lot to me. Okay, Lavia.

01:00:24.600 --> 01:00:25.840
Hi everyone. It's Zach.

01:00:26.920 --> 01:00:27.753
You know the comment?

01:00:29.220 --> 01:00:31.760
I decided I'm not going to
hide my food allergies anymore.

01:00:32.060 --> 01:00:35.060
It's a part of who I am
and I'm not ashamed of it.

01:00:36.600 --> 01:00:41.520
I know all the struggles that she's
gone through with food and all

01:00:41.860 --> 01:00:46.840
the diets and all the different extra
steps she's had to go through and I want

01:00:46.860 --> 01:00:51.380
to be a part of this film to help
spread awareness of food allergies

01:00:52.180 --> 01:00:56.840
and to help end the stigma
around it and to show there's

01:00:57.140 --> 01:01:00.940
nothing wrong with having a food allergy
and there's nothing wrong with being a

01:01:01.080 --> 01:01:03.000
friend to someone who has a food allergy.

01:01:04.160 --> 01:01:07.680
I wish the whole world would know about
food allergies, that they're serious,

01:01:07.860 --> 01:01:10.420
that they're not something
to mess around with.

01:01:10.600 --> 01:01:13.160
When you put someone's phone
number in your contact list,

01:01:13.460 --> 01:01:17.520
put their allergies so you will always
remember and you will know what they are

01:01:17.740 --> 01:01:20.180
to make it normal, right? Normalize it,

01:01:20.280 --> 01:01:22.220
not make it something that
makes them feel different.

01:01:22.440 --> 01:01:26.280
What would I tell a child who's
managing life with food allergies?

01:01:28.280 --> 01:01:31.720
Live and use your voice.

01:01:32.520 --> 01:01:36.800
I think one of my proudest moments in
my food allergy journey was winning the

01:01:37.110 --> 01:01:41.940
$45,000 grand prize for the cooking
competition because not only did I

01:01:41.980 --> 01:01:43.660
give 30,000 of it to my school,

01:01:44.080 --> 01:01:48.060
I was also able to show them that you
can make a really good dish without using

01:01:48.441 --> 01:01:49.781
any of those allergens.

01:01:50.241 --> 01:01:52.741
So I'm just going to go ahead
and get one of these for you.

01:01:54.121 --> 01:01:55.721
Oh my gosh. They look so good.

01:01:55.821 --> 01:01:56.654
There you go.

01:01:57.081 --> 01:01:58.401
Oh, and this is so good. Thank.

01:01:58.501 --> 01:01:59.334
You. Thank you.

01:01:59.421 --> 01:02:02.160
I used to love carrying
him in there. Oh yeah.

01:02:04.240 --> 01:02:08.541
To all the parents out there who have
children living with food allergies,

01:02:08.661 --> 01:02:11.381
I would say be fierce
in your communication.

01:02:12.541 --> 01:02:15.360
Fiercely advocate for your
child or your children.

01:02:17.801 --> 01:02:22.741
Once you become a mom and you
yourself are having to deal with all

01:02:22.781 --> 01:02:26.221
the same issues every single
day, you really get it.

01:02:26.701 --> 01:02:30.701
And I think what it's done
for me is not only given me

01:02:31.621 --> 01:02:33.201
so much more of an understanding,

01:02:33.641 --> 01:02:38.421
but also show me where so many of the
problems are, where all the holes are,

01:02:38.541 --> 01:02:41.921
where we don't have great resources.

01:02:42.561 --> 01:02:46.621
And that's what I feel so lucky
to be able to take back to my lab

01:02:47.561 --> 01:02:48.921
and try to make things better.

01:02:49.181 --> 01:02:52.361
If I put myself in your
shoes and understand that it
is life-threatening to you,

01:02:52.921 --> 01:02:55.021
then now I have a better understanding.

01:02:55.121 --> 01:02:59.321
And I think if we all did
that for other people,

01:02:59.821 --> 01:03:03.921
then I think we would make this
world a better place obviously.

01:03:04.501 --> 01:03:07.081
But also we'd be protecting each other.

01:03:08.401 --> 01:03:13.261
I watched your live. Good job. I mean,

01:03:14.401 --> 01:03:17.041
I'm really sorry. I wish I would've known.

01:03:23.761 --> 01:03:28.281
Hey, it's like you said in your life
when you know better, you do better.

01:03:34.760 --> 01:03:35.611
All right. See you.

01:03:37.282 --> 01:03:42.062
I wanted to just point out the Elijah's
Law and some of the components of it.

01:03:42.522 --> 01:03:46.802
And one of them mainly we focus on
training and I wanted to show you

01:03:47.762 --> 01:03:52.082
this is a great example. Here they
have where there's an active shooter.

01:03:53.242 --> 01:03:55.982
We want to protect children from
that. However, if you notice,

01:03:56.282 --> 01:03:59.862
there's nothing here that protects
children that has food allergies.

01:04:01.222 --> 01:04:02.842
To all the preschool teachers out there,

01:04:03.122 --> 01:04:07.282
the Elijah's Law was created
specifically to support and help you

01:04:08.302 --> 01:04:11.442
to ensure that you are trained,
well-informed, and have access.

01:04:11.862 --> 01:04:15.462
You're not alone. You don't
have to carry the burden alone.

01:04:15.942 --> 01:04:17.882
And so if you don't already
have it in your state,

01:04:17.942 --> 01:04:21.042
you should advocate to get one so
that you two are protected as well.

01:04:24.482 --> 01:04:27.322
Having you, Emily, and Anthony on board,

01:04:28.282 --> 01:04:32.122
it just makes a world of
difference in what we're doing,

01:04:32.182 --> 01:04:35.942
what we're standing for, what we're
fighting for. I posted something up.

01:04:36.242 --> 01:04:37.822
It's not just the likeness of my son,

01:04:37.882 --> 01:04:40.342
but it's what we're doing
to protect other children.

01:04:40.482 --> 01:04:43.502
I know it's a long journey to get
there for people to fully understand,

01:04:44.022 --> 01:04:48.182
but what gives me hope is knowing that
there was one point in time where AEDs

01:04:48.242 --> 01:04:52.402
was not all over the place, where
fire extinguishers was not a thing,

01:04:53.162 --> 01:04:55.802
where fire drills in
schools were not a thing,

01:04:56.462 --> 01:05:00.880
where seat belts were not
a thing. And now it is.

01:05:02.642 --> 01:05:05.702
I'm not afraid that I'm going to
die from a food allergy every day.

01:05:06.122 --> 01:05:08.942
I just do what I need to do to
keep myself safe. Hey child.

01:05:10.080 --> 01:05:11.280
How we doing? I'm.

01:05:11.280 --> 01:05:12.980
Good. Nice to meet you. It's a pleasure.

01:05:13.262 --> 01:05:14.095
To meet you. Okay.

01:05:14.562 --> 01:05:18.262
I went from being a teacher who didn't
understand food allergies. Looking good.

01:05:18.782 --> 01:05:22.642
To a parent doing everything in
my power to protect my child.

01:05:23.962 --> 01:05:28.883
I know we can create a kinder world
for Giles and all kids living with

01:05:28.923 --> 01:05:29.756
food allergies.

01:05:31.083 --> 01:05:33.143
It may pass out of committee that day.

01:05:33.423 --> 01:05:38.163
There may be questions from the committee
members. It could be held for a week,

01:05:38.483 --> 01:05:39.316
two weeks.

01:05:39.683 --> 01:05:43.643
Elijah's Law. Elijah's Law is the
incorporation of preventing, recognizing,

01:05:43.703 --> 01:05:44.983
and responding to life-threatening,

01:05:45.463 --> 01:05:48.783
anaphylactic reactions for
children in childcare facilities.

01:05:49.243 --> 01:05:51.923
The law is named after a three-year-old
boy from New York City who was given a

01:05:51.963 --> 01:05:56.143
grilled cheese sandwich despite
having a known severe dairy allergy.

01:05:56.883 --> 01:05:57.383
Aye.

01:05:57.383 --> 01:05:58.823
Shields. Aye. Bunch.

01:05:59.123 --> 01:05:59.583
Aye.

01:05:59.583 --> 01:06:01.123
Barnes. Aye. Parkshaw.

01:06:01.483 --> 01:06:01.943
Aye.

01:06:01.943 --> 01:06:02.563
Lucas?

01:06:02.563 --> 01:06:02.800
Aye.

01:06:02.800 --> 01:06:03.633
12 Ayes.

01:06:04.263 --> 01:06:05.096
The ordinance passes.

01:06:06.903 --> 01:06:07.736
We're done.

01:06:08.463 --> 01:06:12.903
Yes. I'm so happy.

01:06:13.423 --> 01:06:18.303
And every child that
benefits from us having a

01:06:18.963 --> 01:06:23.543
program in place to ensure that
children with food allergies

01:06:24.783 --> 01:06:28.283
are safe will be a
continuation of his legacy.

01:06:28.683 --> 01:06:33.503
His legacy really is about community
and bringing safety and people

01:06:33.543 --> 01:06:37.903
together and is a real representation
of who that little boy was.

01:06:38.423 --> 01:06:43.123
I just happen to have
the Super Bowl ring here.

01:06:44.783 --> 01:06:48.303
There it is. So you can hold
that thing. Look at that.

01:06:51.063 --> 01:06:52.503
Thank you all so much for coming.

01:06:52.663 --> 01:06:55.803
It truly means the world that you all
came here to listen to me talk about my

01:06:55.863 --> 01:06:56.723
food allergy journey.

01:07:01.223 --> 01:07:06.143
Between my mom and I, it has just gotten
us closer and we get to work together,

01:07:06.323 --> 01:07:11.183
which is the coolest thing. And I'm
so lucky that I have her as a mom.

01:07:11.643 --> 01:07:16.464
If someone is teasing or being hurtful
to a friend or classmate living with food

01:07:16.544 --> 01:07:18.864
allergies, it's okay to stand up for them.

01:07:19.164 --> 01:07:23.364
For most teens, kissing
contains nerves, excitement,

01:07:23.764 --> 01:07:24.597
and love.

01:07:26.304 --> 01:07:30.564
But for people like me with a girlfriend
like Lydia who takes the time to

01:07:30.664 --> 01:07:34.204
understand my food allergies
and make it safe, well,

01:07:34.264 --> 01:07:36.444
it contains all of those
incredible things and more.

01:07:37.484 --> 01:07:41.064
I'm a professional actor and I also
live with food allergies in real life.

01:07:41.324 --> 01:07:45.984
I just think it's so important to
spread the message to everyone who

01:07:46.584 --> 01:07:47.904
does not know about food allergies.

01:07:48.004 --> 01:07:50.924
And you can also teach people
about safe food to eat. I mean,

01:07:50.984 --> 01:07:53.784
not in the midst of your
food allergy reaction,

01:07:53.944 --> 01:07:56.124
but you can also teach them about that.

01:07:56.364 --> 01:08:00.624
You can give them the knowledge
that they need to understand.

01:08:00.824 --> 01:08:03.584
When you know what food
allergies are. You understand.

01:08:03.644 --> 01:08:07.124
That we are all different in our
own ways. And when you understand,

01:08:07.564 --> 01:08:08.397
you can accept.

01:08:08.704 --> 01:08:10.904
That some of us live with food allergies.

01:08:11.004 --> 01:08:12.624
And thank you so much

01:08:14.184 --> 01:08:18.064
for seeing the importance of what was
already started and hopefully we can

01:08:18.104 --> 01:08:19.904
continue to motivate
others to do the same.

01:08:20.664 --> 01:08:22.584
The pain of losing Eli
would never go away,

01:08:23.224 --> 01:08:27.944
but knowing the work
that I've done with the

01:08:27.984 --> 01:08:30.804
Elijah Living Foundation, Elijah's law,

01:08:31.784 --> 01:08:35.224
knowing that a child
like Eli would be safe,

01:08:35.824 --> 01:08:36.904
it brings me a lot of peace.

01:08:37.224 --> 01:08:41.784
Eli would say to keep on going,

01:08:42.764 --> 01:08:43.804
so I'm going to keep doing that.

01:08:46.184 --> 01:08:48.764
I want to be treated just
like a normal teenager.

01:08:49.184 --> 01:08:50.984
I want to be treated just like you.

01:08:56.824 --> 01:09:00.745
We want to give a big thank you to Owen
and Aiden for being here and doing such

01:09:00.785 --> 01:09:03.725
a great job of teaching us how
to make allergens safe food.

01:09:04.165 --> 01:09:08.265
If you would like to learn more about
this, just go to justlikeyoufilms.org.

01:09:20.480 --> 01:09:23.065
I know that if we work together,
we can create a kinder,

01:09:23.345 --> 01:09:26.845
safer world for kids with food
allergies because when you know better,

01:09:27.365 --> 01:09:28.198
you do better.

01:09:28.425 --> 01:09:32.645
Food allergy is just a part of who
they are. These kids are amazing.

01:09:32.705 --> 01:09:37.585
They can do anything. They're
athletes. They're rocket scientists.

01:09:38.205 --> 01:09:42.385
They're superstars. Kids with
food allergies are just like you.

01:09:42.865 --> 01:09:44.025
They're just like you.

01:09:44.625 --> 01:09:45.458
Just like you.

01:09:57.480 --> 01:10:02.285
Lately I've been getting mad at myself
because I'm always thinking about

01:10:02.465 --> 01:10:03.298
yo.

01:10:04.905 --> 01:10:09.345
Every time that I'm with
anyone knows all the no is I'm

01:10:09.405 --> 01:10:10.585
without you.

01:10:14.720 --> 01:10:18.965
No matter where I'm
going. Wait and I'll pray.

01:10:19.365 --> 01:10:20.385
Yes and no.

01:10:21.705 --> 01:10:25.245
Going every tomorrow until

01:10:25.565 --> 01:10:27.065
someday.

01:10:27.665 --> 01:10:30.600
Pull me up in New York or California.

01:10:31.200 --> 01:10:34.640
I imagine the way it's going to be.

01:10:35.140 --> 01:10:38.120
Not until you treat
it. I'm waiting for it.

01:10:38.850 --> 01:10:42.240
Every day believe it till 2023.

01:10:46.520 --> 01:10:47.400
Don't you feel it.

01:11:06.150 --> 01:11:10.720
Everybody says a matter of mind
because you can't see the future.

01:11:13.840 --> 01:11:18.600
I don't want to see if maybe I'm lying
closer to you and me. I'm so sure.

01:11:20.160 --> 01:11:24.520
And I know. Till you're closer to me,

01:11:24.920 --> 01:11:28.360
you'll be my echo and a no.

01:11:30.880 --> 01:11:34.440
Don't more than I wish I will not let go.

01:18:02.440 --> 01:18:02.640
You.

01:18:02.640 --> 01:18:02.840
Guys.

01:18:02.840 --> 01:18:03.450
Can see you as