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1st year Mercer student passes away from allergic reaction in her dorm room

On a cold day in January 2021, my reading was interrupted by loud knocks up and down the hallway of my freshman dorm. “Please evacuate immediately,” my Resident Director said. “There’s been a medical emergency.” Later, we learned that a friend in the room across from mine passed away from an allergic reaction to the food she ate. I couldn’t help but think, “That could have been me.” As a child, severe eczema and multiple food and environmental allergies meant I couldn’t safely eat a slice of my own birthday cake at my birthday parties, participate in overnight school trips or even swim in the pool with my friends. Thanks to immunotherapy treatments over multiple years, I can now live independently and eat safely from the college cafeteria. But others, like my friend, were not so fortunate.

10 year old boy passes away due to no access to EpiPen


Javier Avina, a 10 year old boy, passed away last year without getting emergency Epipen on time. He had asthma, he was allergic to peanuts and eggs, and he attended a Canadian elementary school in Wallaceburg, Ontario.  Javier was sent from class to the restroom since he was not feeling well. He apparently vomited and used his puffer, known as a rescue inhaler. He collapsed within 5 minutes of getting to the school office. When he became progressively sick, he was not given epinephrine since they thought his asthma was getting worse. According to the story, there were reports of exposure to another student who was eating peanut containing food. The coroner informed The London Free Press that Javier did not get the care that might have saved him. Javier was given Epinephrine only after the paramedics arrived and by that time it was too late to save his life. The question of whether he died of asthma or food allergy is still yet to be answered. The following points are the major takeaway ideas from this story:

  1. Emergency epinephrine (Epipen) can be used as first aid in both situations, for a severe asthma attack or a severe food allergy. Originally, epinephrine was the treatment for asthma before puffers came to be used. It helps keep the airway of the victim open until the doctors or paramedics arrive.
  2. Severe food allergies can be confused with asthma since kids can have trouble breathing from anaphylaxis. Anaphylaxis is the deadly allergic attack. Javier vomited and had trouble breathing, so he could have had a severe food allergy. Even at autopsy it is difficult to determine whether someone died of acute asthma or severe anaphylaxis from food allergy. Epinephrine is the ideal first aid treatment for both severe asthma and acute anaphylaxis from severe food allergy.
  3. If a similar situation occurs and one is not sure, use Epipen early. It may save someone’s life and it does not cause any harm. Anyone in school can do this.
  4. To prevent situations like this from happening, create awareness in schools about use of Epipen in emergencies.
  5. Organize Epipen training clinics in schools to help students and staff get comfortable with using Epipens.

Read the full story: http://nationalpost.com/news/canada/boy-who-died-after-collapse-in-ontario-school-had-expired-puffer-unused-emergency-meds-coroner

LOGO Writing Piece

This piece of writing was created for my Writer’s Portfolio in my 9th Grade Honors Literature class. We were given the assignment to create a logo that describes ourselves or something that has happened in our life. It is an anecdote that describes how having eczema has impacted my life and shaped me into who I am today.

When I was a one-year-old, my family discovered that I had eczema. Eczema is a skin condition where one has rough, or dry skin that becomes irritated very easily if not treated correctly. This hand represents the struggles that I have experienced throughout my life because of my condition. The little circles drawn in several areas on the back of the hand stand for the spots and scars that I have owned since the first year of my life. The tips of the fingers are purposefully drawn to create a “frowny face” and to create the structure of the nose and eyes. The eyes on all the fingers except the thumb are shaped like teardrops to signify the sadness I kept bundled up inside as a kid.
All the times that I was given weird looks, teased, and stared at made me miserable because I always thought that I could never be like everyone else.
However, the finger that possesses the most meaning is the thumb. It is deliberately designed as the tip of the thumb to be a “smiley face” and the eyes to form a sun to symbolize happiness. It means that I have discovered happiness within having eczema. I have learned how to deal with it and have realized that everyone has their own internal battle of some kind or another. This is mine.