Creciendo con Alergias supports a family’s every day battle with allergies

Emilia is an enthusiastic 10 year old girl from Viña del Mar, Chile. She is allergic to tree nuts, and had her first anaphylactic reaction this year after having a piece of cake at a local restaurant that she and her family visit regularly.

As recalled by Emilia, she and her dad went for dessert, and she ordered the usual, a slice of chocolate cake. After having a bite, she felt the cake tasted different and did not finish it.  They went back home, and soon after they arrived, she started coughing, her lips and throat started itching, and had difficulty breathing. Her dad took her immediately to the closest emergency room. She does not remember much after that, but her family says that she did not look okay. They were very scared.  Immediately after arriving to the hospital, she was administered adrenaline and was stabilized soon.

She was diagnosed with anaphylaxis and prescribed with epinephrine auto-injector. The doctor told her parents they were very lucky to arrive that soon to the emergency room, if they had arrived just minutes later, results could have been fatal.

This was the first time they had heard about an epinephrine auto-injector. They searched for auto-injector on the internet and they realized that it was a complex medicine not for immediate purchase in several countries. They got very anxious about it, until they reached out to Creciendo con Alergias Foundation, in Santiago, 150 km. from home. Creciendo con Alergias helped them obtain an auto-injector and provided them with information about anaphylaxis.

“After Emilia’s episode with anaphylaxis, and our contact with Creciendo con Alergias, I have realized that Creciendo con Alergias has done so much for our family for our everyday life” says Javiera, Emilia’s mom. Javiera says that now she reads products labels, she has the Creciendo con Alergias Anaphylaxis Action Plan that she shows to her friends and family, she can access to epinephrine auto-injector and she also attends workshops on how to use it. “I am so relieved now with all this information and help on my hands, and all of this has been possible thanks to Creciendo con Alergias, our patient organization in Chile”, she says.

In October 2018, Emilia and her mom attended her first Anaphylaxis Workshop hosted by Creciendo con Alergias in Santiago, Chile.  Emilia was not shy to stand in front of all participants as volunteer for demonstration on how to use an auto-injector. When asked how does she feel after class, Emilia enthusiastically said, “I am so happy, I will carry it with me all the time”.

Creciendo con Alergias NPO, Santiago, Chile

pcarmelo@creciendoconalergias.cl

*Testimonial from Creciendo Con Alergias www.creciendoconalergias.cl