Trace Adkins - Country Music Star

[Luvstruck]

My niece had a severe and frightening reaction to medicine when she was young. They found it was an allergy to the red food coloring used and since then she has to be really carefull about medicines and food with possible red food coloring. So I think he has chosen a great charity to support. Saving lives can't be beat no matter what the actual charity!!!!!!!

[Google]

 

[Bonbonlover]

I think it is a wonderful charity for him to be helping. If the monies he gains can help research to find a cure then he will be helping many children who have potential life-threatening diseases... Clearly helping a broad spectrum of children as opposed to the High School Scholarship fund which will help a limited number of children in a limited regional area...

[Krom]

Originally Posted by Marleybone

This isn't really about banning peanut butter from schools, but more about research and finding a cure for food allergies in general.

I've heard that Peanut allergies have more to do with what's done processing them than anything else.

Peanuts are actually considered a key ingredient in the battle against world hunger too. A paste made from peanuts is being tested in various places in Africa because it can be cheaply produced, stored and distributed (in tubes), contains most of the chemical stuff needed to push people back from the brink of starvation, and frankly, nobody in Africa seems to be allergic.

Peanut Butter Program in Malawi Helping Hungry Children - Associated Content

Anyway, getting back to peanut allergies, apparently there are only about 125 deaths a year in the U.S. related to it. So its hardly an epidemic, even though its quite serious to those who have it.

[uwishtoo]

Originally Posted by Krom

I've heard that Peanut allergies have more to do with what's done processing them than anything else.

Peanuts are actually considered a key ingredient in the battle against world hunger too. A paste made from peanuts is being tested in various places in Africa because it can be cheaply produced, stored and distributed (in tubes), contains most of the chemical stuff needed to push people back from the brink of starvation, and frankly, nobody in Africa seems to be allergic.

Peanut Butter Program in Malawi Helping Hungry Children - Associated Content

Anyway, getting back to peanut allergies, apparently there are only about 125 deaths a year in the U.S. related to it. So its hardly an epidemic, even though its quite serious to those who have it.

Here is a little snippet of an interview where he was asked about it
“My 5-year-old little girl [Brianna] has really severe food allergies. That’s something we’ve really gotten involved with. By accident, she got ahold of some peanut butter [when she was 18 months], and that was our first trip to the emergency room. It is terrifying. It’s something we have to deal with on a daily basis,” he says.

Cant imagine having a kid that young that cant tell you whats wrong or what they are feeling and get so sick to rush them to the ER. It isnt just PB either, its milk and eggs and as he pointed out also there are 3 million children (approx 12 million total people) in the USA that have these types of allergies - and hopefully with the awareness of people and teachers, caretakers, etc - there wont be the deaths you quoted.

[dagwood]

I think if you can save just one child then it is more than worth it. Especially to the families of those that have died from an allergic reaction to something.

[uwishtoo]

Originally Posted by dagwood

I think if you can save just one child then it is more than worth it. Especially to the families of those that have died from an allergic reaction to something.

Yeppers, when its your kid then thats all the you are focused on. But he does feel passionately enough about the issue in general to go in front of Tennessee lawmakers.

[Krom]

Originally Posted by dagwood

I think if you can save just one child then it is more than worth it.

That's a really sticky call to make. I mean say that 500 million dollars is spent to research a cure for that "one child"? Wouldn't there be a decent argument that the same money could have been spent researching a cure for cancer? Or perhaps simply feeding hungry people?

Obviously the causes most relevant to people are the ones they will support the most. But in reality, sometimes needs probably need to be balanced against each other.

[mom2]

I'm a teacher and I have noticed a huge upswing in children with food allergies. These children are just as entitled to research on their behalf as anyone, especially since there could be fatal consequences.

[NoNuts4UsEver]

As a parent of child who is allergic to peanuts, some tree nuts, wheat, barley, rye, egg, soy, milk, corn and peas, I was so happy to see Trace's choice of charities. FAAN is about education and working towards research to help cure these allergies. Food allergies are on the rise. Even Newsweek devoted a cover to food allergies recently.

It's scary to navigate the world with food allergies. We don't leave the house without wipes, Epi-pens and benadryl EVER. Even a simple run to the grocery store is no longer simple anymore.

I have been in Trace's shoes. My son had his first reaction at the age of 6mo to barley - it was an anaphylactic reaction that landed us in the ER. I had heard about peanut allergies being that dangerous, but barley? His second anaphylactic reaction was to dried cranberries that were stored on the same equipment as peanuts. There was nothing on the label to tell me this could be an issue. FAAN is working with the FDA to change this so that hopefully our kids can be kept safe and we will have ALL of the information we need to feed them safely.

And to the PP that mentioned it's how the peanuts are processed now. They haven't been able to prove that. There are many theories out there such as an environment that is too clean causing the body to attack food as the enemy since it no longer has germs or that the genetic modification of foods such as soy and corn are the issue. No one has the answers, but FAAN is out there trying to find them!

[TabMill]

I wish him the best. Certain comments here have demonstrated why this condition needs better exposure in order to support better understanding. FAAN does not seek to rid the world of any food. Their goals include increasing understanding of how very dangerous this condition can be, supporting families who are struggling to keep a loved one safe, and to find a cure and or vaccine.

There are countless honorable charities most are of great value and are very worthy of the support and attention that a celebrity brings. It's not an adversarial relationship or at least it shouldn’t be. Why should it be one or the other?

I don’t see that Trace’s support of FAAN could harm any other worthy cause. Nor should it offend anyone else that his choice is different than their’s would be.