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LITTLE Dylan Mott has a nut allergy so severe that a kiss from someone who has just eaten a walnut would be lethal if he didn’t immediately receive an injection of adrenaline.

His mother Amanda will never forget the day Dylan, then a toddler, ate half a cashew nut. “He was sick immediately. His face and neck looked like he had been pushed into stinging nettles,” she says.

Allergy detection: Dylan suffers from a severe allergy

“He was clawing at his throat because he couldn’t breathe. By the time the ambulance arrived he was blue and drooling because he could not swallow his saliva.”

Fortunately, Amanda, 40, and her husband Richard, 39, from New Romney, Kent, are care workers and trained in first aid.

Dylan had already been diagnosed with asthma-like symptoms and in the desperate minutes while the couple waited for paramedics they administered Dylan’s ventolin inhaler to try to keep his airways open. They were later told that without it their son would probably have died.

Dylan, three, is now under the care of specialist doctors and skin-prick tests confirmed he is acutely sensitive to cashews, walnuts and Brazil nuts. The severity of his reaction leaves no doubt about the diagnosis. His parents carry two EpiPens for an auto-injection of adrenaline at all times and Dylan wears a Mediband wristband to alert others.

All forms of allergy are rising but specialists are increasingly alarmed that many children have not been properly diagnosed and their healthis put at risk from exclusion diets that deprive them of crucial nutrients.

Health watchdog the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) believes only one in five who claim to suffer an adverse reaction to food have a true allergy.
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MEDIBAND CASE STUDY

Parents are always keen to ensure the safety of their children at all times, and when your child suffers from a medical condition or allergy, this becomes even more important.

Nicky and Rich Marshall, who live in York, both understand the peace of mind a medical ID bracelet can offer. Their son, 10 year old Owen, suffers from allergies to peanuts, dust mites and tree pollens. Nicky performed an internet search and came across the UK Mediband site.

As part of Owen’s condition, he carries epi-pens, but has recently come to an age where he goes out more frequently on his own. He also has a number of sporting interests which means he is regularly left in the care of teachers and coaches, and needs to communicate his allergies.

Rich Marshall comments: “Owen suffered one severe reaction a few years ago but we have, thankfully, been able to manage his condition extremely well since. He goes out and about with his friends during school holidays, and has also recently been on several residential school trips, where he is away from us for several nights at a time. Wearing a Mediband has provided us with reassurance that if something should happen, his condition can easily be identified. From Owen’s point of view, he has much more freedom, and the Mediband is subtle enough to be ‘cool’ in Owen’s eye, which is crucial!” (more…)

If you are being treated for an illness or injury, the last ting you need is to be treated with a medicine that will give you a setback.

That’s exactly what happened to Fetham first aider Malcolm Cole and now he is keen to prevent it happening to other people.

Mr Cole discovered he had a penicillin allergy 20 years ago after a nasty reaction to a doctor’s treatment.

He has been a voluntary first aider for 25 years and delivers paediatric instruction for Surrey First Aid Training, so he is aware of the importance of making medical staff aware of all allergies and conditions.

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Allergies and underlying medical conditions can strike at the most unusual times, and without warning. Luckily, Mediband can prevent you from being caught out with their range of medical ID bracelets.

60 year old Gil Sloan from Crowthorne, Berkshire, is allergic to wasps. One day, four years ago, Gil was playing in a golf competition when he was stung by a wasp, which resulted in him experiencing all the symptoms of a serious allergic reaction. He eventually lost consciousness and woke 15 minutes later to find he was being attended to by the local air ambulance, as none of the club staff had any idea what was wrong with him.

After this, Gil performed a Google search looking for medical alert bracelets but could only find gold plated bracelets, which he saw as tacky. Gil comments: “Mediband ID bracelets are easy to wear, visible, very comfortable and quite trendy, for an old man! I have been stung since but, thanks to Mediband, everyone is aware of my condition now and knows to use my epipen if I fall ill.”

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Chilton County teachers and administrators gathered in the Chilton County High School auditorium Wednesday morning for an in-service stressing methods to combat and prevent bullying in their schools.

Judge Rhonda Hardesty and Jessica Messer attended and offered suggestions and insights while keynote speaker Jay Banks rounded out the day with points from his “STAMP Out Bullying” campaign.

Adorned in a black shirt, black pants and a “STAMP Out Bullying” red rubber wristband, Banks filled the auditorium with his enthusiastic message, garnering consistent audience response.

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