Food Allergy Living Blog Tagged Results

We’ve written before about eosinophilic esophagitis or EoE, but wanted to share some information today about an important advocacy group dedicated to patients and families with EoE and other eosinophilic disorders known as APFED – the American Partnership for Eosinophilic Disorders.

How APFED Got It's Start

APFED was started by Elizabeth Mays, a mother whose son had eosinophilic gastroenteritis, to create a place where families could “come together to share knowledge, educate themselves, arm themselves with credible information, meet and support one another, raise public awareness and generate research dollars.”

The group is an excellent resource for accurate, up-to-date information on eosinophilic disorders and related problems. Not only does APFED increase awareness and educate patients and physicians, the group also works to increase funding for research. There is some nice APFED videos on YouTube and you can also follow APFED on Twitter (@APFEDorg) to keep up with their latest news, announcements and events.

Annual APFED Conference for Caregivers

This weekend, July 16 – 18, APFED will be hosting their 8^th annual parent conference, the 2010 Eos Connection, in Denver, Colorado. The conference is a great opportunity for children affected by eosinophilic disorders and their families to learn from experts and one another.

We will be attending the conference and look forward to seeing some of you there! Be sure to stop by and say hello, we will be filming videos of the attendees with our FlipCam to help increase awareness about eosinophilic disorders.

- Sarah

We know that the diagnosis of a food allergy or GI condition can sometimes be overwhelming for families. Fortunately, there are many great support groups out there that can help you find your footing with resources, advice and stories from other families going through similar situations. Here are a few that we have found helpful.

Allergy Moms

Founded by Gina Clowes, AllergyMoms provides support for parents of children with food allergies. The Web site and monthly newsletter features articles, food allergy recipes and the latest news and research on breast-feeding, hypoallergenic formulas, eczema, reflux, anaphylaxis and school policy.

American Partnership for Eosinophilic Disorders (APFED)

APFED is an advocacy group for children and adults living with eosinophilic esophagitis, eosinophilic gastroenteritis, eosinophilic colitis, hypereosinophilic syndrome, and other eosinophilic disorders. It is a great resource and provides accurate, up-to-date information on eosinophilic disorders and related problems. Not only does the organization increase awareness and educate patients and physicians, APFED also works to increase funding for research.

Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN)

FAAN was established in 1991 to share information vital to raising a child with food allergies. Throughout the year the group holds events to raise awareness about food allergies, including Food Allergy Walks in cities across the country. The FAAN Web site features an extensive database of allergy-friendly recipes, as well as links to other resources like local support groups and allergy camps.

Kids with Food Allergies (KFA)

Started by Lynda Mitchell, KFA is a nationwide nonprofit organization that offers online food allergy support groups, information, news, and allergen-free recipes for families raising children with food allergies. They have a new guide called KFA's Starter Guide to Parenting a Child with a Food Allergy that is especially helpful when you are first trying to understand food allergies, diagnosis and treatment. You can also subscribe to their bi-weekly newsletter for the latest updates!

Reflux Rebels

Reflux Rebels was started by a group of mothers who all had children with reflux and food allergies. Their goal is to share the knowledge they have learned from their own experiences and provide advice to families going through something similar. The Web site features some helpful quizzes that can help you get an idea of what your baby’s symptoms mean and what treatment options are out there. They also run an active message board on BabyCenter for those of you looking to ask a question or just chat with other parents navigating reflux and food allergies.

We hope you find these groups helpful! There are also a number of local support and advocacy groups out there that are ready to lend a hand too. What groups have been good resources for you?

-Sarah

Rob wrote a great blog post last week about some of the great blogs out there covering food allergies.  This week, I thought I would highlight some Facebook pages related to food allergies that you can connect with for helpful information.

• American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology: Come here for updates about the latest research in allergy/immunology, access to educational tools and publications, and to share your thoughts about current issues in allergy and asthma.
• APFED - The American Partnership for Eosinophilic Disorders: APFED's Facebook page has an active wall where parents of children with eosinophilic disorders often post for support.  You can also find updates about new research and relevant events.
• The CURED Foundation: This non-profit foundation is dedicated to those suffering from eosinophilic disorders.  Their Facebook page offers information on how to get involved and answers questions from parents about their children's conditions.
• Food Allergy Initiative: FAI is another good resource for up to date allergy news and ways to get involved with fundraising.
• Kids with Food Allergies Foundation: This page has an active wall where parents share their food allergy stories. KWFA provides the latest news on food allergy research and events.
• The Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN): The official FAAN Facebook page provides allergy news, updates on their walks, conferences and summer camps, as well as helpful tips posted by members.

Don't forget you can also become a fan of the Neocate Facebook page - we have a great community of parents who share their food allergy stories and offer support for others!  You can ask questions and find the latest news about Neocate and allergies.

Are there any other food allergy-related Facebook pages that we missed?  Be sure to share them in the comments!

- Sarah

This month we highlighted some of the great blogs out there covering food allergies and then some Facebook pages related to food allergies and now today we’ve decided to talk about some great twitter accounts that you can follow for even more helpful information.

• @FoodAllergy:the twitter account for The Food Allergy Anaphylactic Network (FANN) is a great source of information and resources related to food allergies and anaphylaxis;
• @kfatweets: the twitter account for Kids With Food Allergies provides information to help improve the lives of families raising children with food allergies and helps them to create a safe and healthy environment for their children.
• @AllergyEats: the twitter account for AllergyEats provides a user-friendly guide to allergy-friendly restaurants across the United States reviewed by people with food allergies, for people with food allergies.
• @Apfedorg: the twitter account for The American Partnership for Eosinophilic Disorders (APFED) is dedicated to providing information to patients and their families coping with Eosinophilic Disorders.
• @Fooducate: the twitter account for Fooducate is a grocery advisor, helping people choose the best food for their families by analyzinginformation found in product's nutrition panel and ingredient list. 

Don't forget you can also follow us on twitter at @Neocate!  You can ask questions and find the latest news about Neocate and allergies.

Are there any other food allergy-related twitter accounts that we missed?  Be sure to share them in the comments!

- Sarah 

This weekend, July 8 – 10, APFED – the American Partnership for Eosinophilic Disorders will be hosting their 9^thannual parent conference, the 2011 Eos Connection, in Greenville, South Carolina.

APFED was started by Elizabeth Mays, a mother whose son had eosinophilic gastroenteritis, to create a place where families could “come together to share knowledge, educate themselves, arm themselves with credible information, meet and support one another, raise public awareness and generate research dollars.”

The group is an excellent resource for accurate, up-to-date information on eosinophilic disorders and related problems.  Not only does APFED increase awareness and educate patients and physicians, the group also works to increase funding for research.  There is some nice APFED videos on YouTube and you can also “Like” APFED on Facebook and follow APFED on Twitter (@APFEDorg) to keep up with their latest news, announcements and events.

The conference is a great opportunity for children affected by eosinophilic disorders and their families to learn from experts and one another.

We will be attending the conference and look forward to seeing some of you there!  Be sure to stop by and say hello, we will be filming videos of the attendees with our FlipCam to help increase awareness about eosinophilic disorders.