Do you know Abbey? You should. She’s our hero.
If you’ve attended a food allergy-related event in the New York City area, you know who Abbey Braverman is. She’s an organizer, a people connector and a fund raiser. And for those of us dealing with food allergies, we’re lucky to have her crusading for us, because all of the things she does are ultimately working towards finding a cure for all of our kids. For this reason, I’m proud to not only name Abbey our AllerMates Hero for February, but to also have the pleasure of calling her a friend. Read all about Abbey’s wonderful work in my interview with her below.
Abbey, tell our readers what prompted your involvement in the food allergy community.
When our youngest daughter, Julia, was two-and-a-half years old, she had a life-threatening reaction to peanuts, and it was the scariest moment of my life. After we rushed to the hospital and got her back to health, I realized we had nowhere to turn. My husband and I didn’t understand how a food could put someone into such distress, and while we knew our oldest daughter, Heather, also had food allergies, it wasn’t until that moment that we realized just how serious this issue was. So we researched and found the Food Allergy Initiative organization, which we today know as Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE). I immediately called and got involved with them, and in doing so, I was able to find other families like us to share stories. More importantly, FARE put me in touch with the right team of doctors to teach us how to care for our daughters.
What is your involvement with FARE?
Immediately after talking with FARE so many years ago, my husband and I decided to join their fundraising committee in order to meet other people face to face and truly get involved. Soon after, I became Co-chair of FARE’s New York City Annual Spring Luncheon, which raises over one million dollars every year to fund food allergy research. This means I’m searching for new people to be involved, getting donations and raffle items and helping fill seats – all in order to grow the amount we make every year. I’ve also organized two fashion shows to benefit FARE. But I don’t do any of it alone; we have a great team.
I know your husband and daughters are also involved. Tell us about that.
Yes, funding food allergy research has become my family’s mission. We share the same passion for obvious reasons, so we support and participate in all of FARE’s local events, including their annual New York Gala. My daughters volunteer at the annual luncheon, have spoken in front of the attendees on their experiences and are in the FARE videos that are shown year after year. They’re also very involved in our local FARE Walk and have raised the most money for the cause the past three years. Julia, my youngest, who’s 16, sings at the Walk every year, in front of hundreds of people. (Watch a video of Julia singing with her sister, Heather, here.)
Both of them also work on things outside of FARE and together have made videos for schools to educate teachers and staff on how to handle kids with food allergies. These videos deliver a social and emotional message vs. the medical view of a nurse or doctor, so they’ve been positively received.
Heather, who’s 18 and currently a freshman at University of Southern California, has been featured on Teen Kids News and also spoke at the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN) Teen Summit in Washington, DC. Because she’s also an actress, she talked about both her personal and professional experiences in dealing with her food allergies. And now that she’s in another area of the country, she’s trying to start her own food allergy group, charity and non-profit.
As parents, we’ve kept them very involved, and now that they’re older, they’re finding ways outside of our family to stay involved. This makes me proud.
What other initiatives, outside of FARE, do you get involved in?
I love to get involved with various initiatives and events related to food allergies. For example, I hosted a book signing for Erica Reid’s The Thriving Child, which addresses healthy living and managing food allergies.
Within my local area, I’ve been asked to help set policies for food allergies within schools and to initiate programs that educate teachers on handling affected kids. I’ve also trained nurses in our school system on using epinephrine auto-injectors.
Within my community, I’ve become a local go-to person in general for food allergies. I’ll get calls and emails from strangers, inquiring about allergists and allergy-friendly restaurants, stores and foods! Even if people don’t have kids with food allergies, they’ll reach out for advice on what to get for their kid’s friends or classmates. Heather and Julia have become go-to people as well!
Food allergy awareness truly is a family affair, isn’t it?
Yes! We have food allergies on both sides of our family. My sister has a peanut allergy. Our niece has a fish allergy, and our nephews have tree nut allergies. While it’s not ideal, it’s also great because there’s a heightened level of awareness within our family since everyone has experience with food allergies. So when we get together, we do a lot of baking and love to share allergy-friendly foods.
What advice can give you other families dealing with food allergies?
First of all, I’ve learned that as our children get older, they’re encountering allergies in different ways. When mine were younger, I had to worry about what others gave them. When they became tweens, I had to worry about their own choices. Now I have to worry about things I never would have imagined before, like who they’re kissing and what that person ate beforehand. I tell my daughters that their food allergies have to be at the top of their minds because each stage in life brings new responsibilities, new adventures and new people. It’s not always the same routine, so they have to always be on alert. At the same time, we all want our kids to enjoy life and not to constantly worry, so it’s about finding a healthy balance, too.
Other advice I share is to educate your children and the people around them as much as possible. Always carry epinephrine and medicine. And always read labels or ask questions; never assume. Get involved with other food allergy families in your local community and with FARE.
What’s next for you, Abbey?
I’ll continue co-chairing FARE’s luncheon and raising more and more awareness, and I’ll still promote safe environments in schools and communities. From a personal standpoint, my husband and I are on the Board of the University of Southern California’s School of Dramatic Arts, in support of our daughter, Heather. I’d like to get involved with Heather’s food allergy efforts she’s initiating at college and possibly help her do a fundraiser.
I also plan to get involved in other health and wellness charities, such as Heel the Soul, a program which will increase the quality of life for women battling serious illness, but my main focus will always be food allergies until there’s a cure. As for my own health, I take spin and barre classes at Flywheel Sports, who have even asked me to become an ambassador for their brand because I enjoy it so much and always bring others with me. I like the positive energy, and honestly, going is what keeps me moving.
Abbey, I have no doubt your positivity and energy has kept others going, too. It’s certainly made an impact on FARE, on AllerMates and in the food allergy community in general. Thanks for all you do!