Over the past four years, households around the globe have participated in the @tealpumpkinproject. APFED is proud to join @FoodAllergyFARE and other advocacy organizations in support of this national initiative to create a happier, safer Halloween for all by encouraging households to offer non-food treats this Halloween and display a teal pumpkin! Read more about the #TealPumpkinProject initiative at https://www.foodallergy.org
Thanks to community support, APFED has made great progress in the first half of 2018! Our donors and partners have enabled us to fund new research, create and disseminate new educational materials, and effectively advocate on behalf of all those living with eosinophil-associated diseases. We invite you to read our mid-year progress report to learn what has been achieved so far this year because of your generosity.
Every penny counts as we relentlessly seek answers, improved diagnostics and treatments, and ultimately a cure. Please consider a donation or fundraiser to support APFED’s mission, and encourage friends and family to do the same. You may earmark your entire donation to advance specific areas, such as to research or education, make a gift in honor of someone you love, or set up a recurring donation on apfed.org.
Thank you for your support!
Back to school time is almost here, and it’s time to pave the way for a successful new school year! Did you know that APFED offers a wealth of free resources and tools online to support children with eosinophilic-associated diseases (EADs) in a school environment?
The School Advocacy section at apfed.org serves as a toolkit for parents, students, and educators on how to navigate the school year with an EAD. We’ve developed a variety of helpful information, documents and forms to help students have a safe, rewarding experience at school. Guidance and tools are available on the following topics:
• Section 504 Eligibility and Individual Education Plan (IEP) Eligibility
• Accommodations for Elementary Schools and Middle and High Schools
• Managing EAD at College
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Info for School Staff
• Templates and Forms
• Sample 504 Meeting Request and Evaluation Request
Looking for school-related videos? Visit APFED’s YouTube Channel for videos and webinars focusing on topics such as student’s rights in the school setting, accommodations, managing EoE at college, and strategies to help students self-advocate: https://www.youtube.com/user/APFED
Working together, we can help our schools keep students with EAD feeling safe and included. APFED wishes everyone a wonderful new school year!
Researchers are working to bring new therapies to the patients who need them. Patient interviews/surveys are a critical step in the process. Please consider participating in an open survey: https://apfed.org/take-action/surveys/
Every year, APFED’s Executive Board recognizes an APFED member who has shown a deep commitment to our mission and made impactful contributions in the areas of research, education, advocacy and awareness. This year, it is our honor and pleasure to present the 2018 Elizabeth Allen Award to Michaella Lesieur.
Named for one of APFED’s founding mothers Elizabeth (Mays) Allen, this award is presented in recognition of an outstanding community member who goes “above and beyond” to help APFED advance our mission and reach our goals.
Though she is the youngest recipient of this award at age 23, Michaella has long been a strong voice and dedicated force in our community. For the past four years, she has worked on a variety of platforms and through many channels to raise the awareness of eosinophil-associated diseases.
For the past three years, Michaella has organized a very successful Hope on the Horizon Fun Run and Walk in Massachusetts, where supporters have raised more than $19,000 to benefit APFED’s HOPE on the Horizon Research Fund. Michaella has held this event in honor of her mother, who was diagnosed with Hypereosinophilic Syndrome (HES), a rare eosinophil-associated disease of the blood that can affect any organ.
In addition, Michaella has created awareness-raising toolkits for National Eosinophil Awareness Week (held the third week in May) and produced a video to showcase APFED’s #READ4EAD campaign. She has also raised awareness in her community by writing about eosinophil-associated disease in her college newspaper and holding an educational event at an elementary school that was featured by local media. Most recently, Michaella completed her honors thesis project at UMass Dartmouth on the communications associated with fundraising.
Please join us as we recognize and celebrate Michaella’s contributions to our patient community. We are grateful for her hard work, enthusiasm, generous spirit, and all she has done to support families living with eosinophil-associated diseases!
