A diagnosis of food allergy changes everything. Day-to-day tasks such as finding safe foods, arranging playdates, preparing for school, and planning holiday celebrations become monumental projects when a loved one’s life is at stake.
We read about the trials involving OIT, SLIT, patches, probiotics, omalizumab and myriad other approaches and are frustrated by the pace of advancement toward safe, effective treatments and an ultimate cure.
Part of the problem is that it takes $500 million to adequately fund food allergy research but only about $65 million of that is covered by government and private sources, based on a 2013 estimate. That leaves an enormous gap, so promising trials, studies and research projects limp along or sit on the back burner, waiting for proper funding.
How do we fill that gap and accelerate the process? That’s where a new organization comes in: End Allergies Together (EAT). If the name is familiar to you, it may be because you read their recent Op/Ed piece on CNN’s website.
Unlike organizations that fund other important activities including advocacy, education, awareness, and support, EAT is dedicated to a single objective: raising money to fund research for a cure. And to maximize that funding, the founders of EAT underwrite all of the organization’s administrative costs, so 100% of net proceeds go directly toward funding promising research toward a cure for food allergy.
Here’s the pitch: If each of us – the 30 million or so Americans touched by food allergies – would donate just $10 each this year, we would go a long way toward filling the funding gap. Reaching out to family and friends and asking them to donate might close the gap entirely.
To find out more about EAT and do your part toward funding a cure, click here.
