KateSpot

Dear Member of Kids With Food Allergies,

Asthma, food allergies, anaphylaxis. The diagnoses for my son, Matt, left me feeling both frightened and overwhelmed. I knew no one who had a child with severe food allergies until I started to find other parents on the Internet in the mid-1990s. I didn't understand the real value of those online connections, though, until one day when Matt had an anaphylactic reaction at school in first grade while I was out running errands.

I returned home that day to find the following message on my answering machine:

"Mrs. Mitchell, this is the school nurse. Matt's had a severe allergic reaction at school, and we've called 911. We've been unable to reach you. Please contact us immediately."

My heart sank. This was only the second week of school for my first grader - my baby - and I was not home when the school needed to reach me! My cell phone had been in a bad reception area as I ran errands. I called the nurse, who told me the paramedics had arrived and were ready to transport Matt by ambulance. I was told to meet the ambulance at the hospital.

I was devastated to think he was going through this without me. I raced to the hospital and met up with my wide-eyed, frightened 7 year old as he was whisked into the Emergency Room.

Thankfully, the school nurse, paramedics and hospital treated him expertly, and we went home later that day. Within a few days, Matt was as good as new and back at school. I was still reeling from the stress of his having such a bad reaction, though, while away from me and out of my care. I feared for his safety and health.

At the time, I had no local support group, and knew no other parents who had children with severe allergies. I was shaken for weeks, and could barely talk about it with anyone except my immediate family and close friends. I felt very alone and afraid for Matt.

A week or so later, I logged on to an Internet allergy message board and posted, in heartfelt detail, my story and concerns about Matt's anaphylactic reaction. I checked back the next day, and found a number of other moms with severely allergic children who offered kind words and a sympathetic ear. They understood how frightening it was to have a child have a severe reaction like Matt did, and then send him back to school. They even suggested some ideas for helping me to make better school plans for the future.

It was then that I realized how online support could truly be a lifeline to a family raising a child with food allergies- if only to find other parents who understand.

Years later, this experience was the inspiration for founding Kids With Food Allergies: to make sure that any parent who wants to connect with other parents of food-allergic children can do so- in the comfort of their homes, just by going online. Having a place to go 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to share recipes, parenting tips, coping strategies, humor and stories makes such a difference. KFA is also a place to find helpful articles, news and tips reviewed by our Medical Advisory Team.

If you have read this far then you probably already know how valuable a resource KFA can be for families like ours.

I now ask you to step up to help KFA meet its fundraising goal of $100,000 for 2006.

Launching and maintaining KFA has been a labor of love made possible by the kindness of its many volunteers, with work completed on a shoestring budget, and donations received from a small number of families and corporations. Yet it has not been enough for us to do all that we need to do to keep KFA thriving.

Please join us so we can keep KFA alive.

A lot of us are on tight budgets, having to pay for expensive formulas, doctors' visits and more.

However, let's try to put a price on how much KFA is worth. Is it $10, $20, $200?

Has KFA saved you from worrying needlessly, and eased your fears and anxieties about having an allergic child?

Has KFA helped you and your child have a happy first birthday party or his first safe "ice cream" treat?

Did KFA assist you in helping to find the right preschool or doctor for your child?

Has KFA taught you to ask the right questions when you take your child to the doctor?

If your answer is yes, I urge you to give today - $10, $50, $100 or whatever you can give (raid the change box!). One hundred percent of your gift will go to keeping KFA running, and since KFA is a 501(c)(3) charity, your donation is tax-deductible to the extent of the law.

Please help us reach our goal by sending your gift of support today.

You may donate safely online, by going to:

http://www.kidswithfoodallergies.org/donate.html

You may also donate by postal mail, by sending a donation to:

Kids With Food Allergies, Inc.
73 Old Dublin Pike, Ste. 10, #163
Doylestown, PA 18901

Together, you and I can work together so that families raising children with food allergies don't have to feel alone. Please help us stay online to be here for families.

Thank you and warm wishes for the holidays,


Lynda Mitchell

P.S. I encourage you to reach out to friends and family- please ask them to make a donation, too, to help support something you need for your child and your family. Help us achieve our goal with generous donations from you- and your friends and family!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Yes, I want to keep Kids With Food Allergies thriving!

Here is my donation for

_____ $50 ____$100 ____$250 ____Other _________

Name: ______________________________________

Address: _____________________________________

City: ________________________________________

State: _____________

Zip: ______________

Telephone: ___________________________________

KFA Username: _______________________________

E-mail Address: _______________________________

You can mail your generous donation to:

Kids With Food Allergies, Inc.
73 Old Dublin Pike, Ste. 10, #163
Doylestown, PA 18901

All donations are tax deductible to the extent of the law.
You will receive an acknowledgment of your donation by mail.

Thank you for supporting Kids With Food Allergies!