The Allergy Advocate, LLC

09/18/2026

This photo was taken more than 10 years ago, when I testified in Washington, D.C., about the harrowing emergencies people with food allergies were experiencing in the air—and the lifesaving medications that should be available aboard every flight.
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine went on to call for better national data, education, access to treatment and awareness—and recommended that airlines carry the appropriate medications NOT VIALS.
And yet, here we are in 2026, still fighting. Now we are at a crossroads.
Some of you have watched me do this work for nearly a decade—through No Nut Traveler, my reporting for Allergic Living, my essays for KevinMD.com and the continued fight to get easy-to-use epinephrine on airplanes.
This is where I need you.
The FAA has proposed a rule stating that treatment for anaphylaxis “could include” epinephrine.
Could. Not must.
There is no guarantee of an easy-to-use device, appropriate dosing for both children and adults, or enough medication if a second dose is needed.
Years ago, a congressional staffer told me how defibrillators became mandatory on airplanes: cardiac specialists rallied relentlessly for them. Then she asked me a question I have never forgotten:
“Where are your people?”
You are my people.
There are 33 million Americans living with food allergies. More than 1,000 people have already urged the FAA to strengthen this proposal—but the agency needs to hear from all of us.
Please read my newest Kevin Pho, MD article, submit a public comment—it takes only a few minutes—and share this with everyone who flies.
If you travel to or through the United States, your voice matters too.
The deadline is October 5. Once the rule is final, concern will come too late.
The FAA needs to hear us now.

Link to the article https://kevinmd.com/2026/09/epinephrine-on-airplanes-should-not-depend-on-the-airline.html
How to comment - with templates https://mailchi.mp/4b4e8292986a/dear-grass-roots-advocate-5868973

08/25/2026

Get ready….

PART 1 of the TEA:

🎉WE ARE OPENING A SECOND LOCATION In…….

Newburyport MA!

(Don’t worry—- Haverhill is staying!!!!!)

Goal is to open end of September 🥹

More details to come but—LETS GOOOOO! is all I can say right now cause this allergy mama is so excited and proud that we have this amazing opportunity.

Forever and always grateful for the support of our community that got us to where we are today.

🎉🥹🎉🎉🎉🎉🥹🥹🥹

07/25/2026

🎯

And God looked upon a world filled with birthday parties, classroom celebrations, restaurants, vacations, holidays, sleepovers, and ordinary moments that food allergies had suddenly made anything but ordinary. And He said, "I need someone."

I need somebody who'll hear a diagnosis that changes everything... and still believe her child's life can be beautiful. Somebody who'll cry all the way home... then wipe away every tear before she opens the front door because a little face is waiting inside.

So God made an allergy mom.

And He said, "I need somebody who'll spend forty-five minutes in the grocery store looking for one safe box of crackers. Somebody who'll read every label... then read it again. Somebody who'll notice the words 'New Recipe' before anyone else ever would, put it back on the shelf, and start all over."

So God made an allergy mom.

And He said, "I need somebody who knows that buying the same brand doesn't mean buying the same food. Somebody who'll read the label today... and tomorrow... and next month... because she knows ingredients change without warning, and one overlooked word can change everything."

So God made an allergy mom.

And He said, "I need somebody who'll pack the safe cupcake before the birthday party, the safe bun before the cookout, the safe snacks before the road trip, and enough food for the vacation because she's learned that hoping for the best is never a plan."

So God made an allergy mom.

And He said, "I need somebody who'll make Plan A... and Plan B... and Plan C. Somebody who'll know where the nearest emergency room is before she knows where the nearest ice cream shop is. Somebody who'll spend weeks planning a vacation so her child can spend one carefree week simply being a kid."

So God made an allergy mom.

And He said, "I need somebody willing to ask one more question after everyone else is uncomfortable. Somebody who'll call ahead. Email the chef. Ask about the fryer. Ask about the cutting board. Ask about the bread. Somebody who'll gladly be the difficult customer if it means bringing her child safely home."

So God made an allergy mom.

And He said, "I need somebody who'll smile while dinner is served... but never really stop watching. Somebody who'll pretend she's part of the conversation while her eyes quietly return to her child after every unfamiliar bite. Waiting. Listening. Praying that every swallow is just another swallow."

So God made an allergy mom.

And He said, "I need somebody who'll celebrate victories no one else even notices. The first restaurant meal. The first school field trip. The first sleepover. The first flight. The first time her child orders safely without looking back for reassurance."

So God made an allergy mom.

And He said, "I need somebody willing to answer, 'Why can't I eat that?' a thousand different times... while still searching for an answer to the question she asks herself when no one else is listening: 'Why my child?'"

So God made an allergy mom.

And He said, "I need somebody willing to grieve the childhood she imagined... then spend the rest of her life making sure her child never grieves it too."

So God made an allergy mom.

And years later...

That little child won't remember the hours she spent standing in grocery aisles.

They won't remember the labels she read over and over.

They won't remember the phone calls, the emails, the research, or the backup plans for the backup plans.

They won't remember how she stared across the restaurant table after every unfamiliar bite, silently counting the minutes until she could finally breathe again.

They won't remember the nights she lay awake replaying every decision she'd made that day.

They'll simply remember birthday parties.

Vacations.

School lunches.

Restaurants.

Friends.

Adventures.

A childhood that somehow felt... normal.

Because without ever saying the words...

She carried the worry...

so they could carry the wonder.

Because God made an allergy mom.

06/16/2026

05/10/2026

🎯

03/14/2026

DBV Technologies' VITESSE trial showed Viaskin Peanut patch effectively increases peanut tolerance in children, supporting their upcoming submission for approval to the FDA.

12/01/2025

🌟 Calling All K–12 Families in the Boston Area Food Allergy Community! 🌟
The Food Allergy Buddies Program is excited to invite all returning and new Buddies — students with food allergies and their families — to join our community and take part in our programming throughout the year. We offer about four events annually, and we encourage families to stay engaged and participate in as many as they can!
Up next:
🎉 The Food Allergy Adventure: Build, Discover & Create
📅 December 7, 2025
📍 Museum of Science, Boston
Buddies will enjoy a creative, hands-on experience (such as building 3D models of immune cells, designing tools to promote food allergy awareness) while connecting with others who truly “get it.” After the event ends at 3 PM, families are free to explore the Museum of Science!
👨‍👩‍👧 Parent Participation:
Parents of K–8th grade students: Please plan to stay and participate in our parent session.
Parents of 9th–12th grade students: You are welcome, but not required, to stay.
We also welcome new families to register for the Food Allergy Buddies Program (https://redcap.partners.org/redcap/surveys/?s=WDLKDKT4CD4FKY7X) and ask all attendees to RSVP for this event (https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeCLeSlcEx-MH8rzJ4Gh0pkq5WC-N5TVUgk4wjdH8Th1U5TDQ/viewform).
📧 Questions? [email protected]

We look forward to seeing you at this event — and at all of our upcoming programs throughout the year!

Museum of Science, Boston Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) Mass General Brigham for ChildrenFood Allergy Center at MGH

11/01/2025

Proud mom moment…when you catch your youngest educating his friends with confidence💪🏻❤️🎃

10/29/2025

From Halloween through New Years, we enter what Oakley’s family calls "the most dangerous time of the year".

It’s the season of giving — sweet treats, baked goods, and festive surprises shared with love and good intentions. But it’s also when hidden allergens and unlabeled ingredients can put individuals with food allergies at real risk.

Oakley Debbs was just 11 years old when he ate a piece of coffee cake that unknowingly contained nuts. The cake was an ancillary item from a gift set given to the Debbs at Thanksgiving. What was meant to be a fun family celebration became an unimaginable tragedy.

This holiday season, please stay vigilant:
❤️ Always read ingredient labels carefully.
❤️ Ask before sharing or gifting homemade or store-bought foods.
❤️ Never eat anything without knowing ALL ingredients.

Remember — awareness saves lives. The holidays are a perfect time to pause and educate your loved ones about the seriousness of food allergies and how to respond in an emergency. A few minutes of awareness can make all the difference.