On May 24 of National Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month, the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) and Kids with Food Allergies (KFA), our food allergy division, are holding a Remembrance Day in honor of family members and loved ones who’ve died from asthma or anaphylaxis. We also take time to remember others who have needlessly been lost to preventable deaths.
On average, more than 3,500 people in the U.S. die from asthma each year.1 A few hundred die each year because of severe allergic reactions, called anaphylaxis [anna-fih-LACK-sis].2 Most of these deaths were preventable. We believe one life lost to asthma or anaphylaxis is one too many.
On this day, we reflect on our mission to save lives and reduce the burden of these diseases on individuals, families, and caregivers.
We dedicate May 24 as a time to celebrate and honor lives lost and to continue to make a difference in memory of the people who live in our hearts forever.
Ways You Can Honor People Lost to Anaphylaxis and Asthma
At AAFA and KFA, we are blowing bubbles to remember lives lost. We encourage you to join us. Here are some ways you can show your respects:
- Blow bubbles in memoriam: Share a photo on social media blowing bubbles or of a loved one using one of the hashtags #AsthmaAwareness, #AllergyAwareness, or #FoodAllergyAwareness and tag AAFA or KFA.
- Write a poem, draw a picture, take a photograph of something your loved one would find beautiful, or sing a song. Post to social media using one of the hashtags #AsthmaAwareness, #AllergyAwareness, or #FoodAllergyAwareness and tag AAFA or KFA.
- Share a memory of a loved one in the comments below, or join our AAFA or KFA communities and share your memories on our forums.
- Send a card in the mail, make a phone call, or drop a text to friends or family to share support and fond memories.
- Make a donation to support AAFA’s work in memory of a loved one.
What AAFA and KFA Are Doing to Reduce Asthma and Anaphylaxis Deaths
AAFA and KFA work to fulfill our mission through several programs and initiatives. Your support makes these programs possible. Here are some of the ways we are working to reduce deaths from asthma and anaphylaxis:
- Advocacy – Support for public policies that will benefit people with asthma and allergies
- Community Health Interventions to Advance Self-Management of Asthma (CHI-ASMA) – A program backed by a grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to help people with asthma improve asthma control
- Educational programs and resources – Evidence-based programs on asthma and food allergies for patients, caregivers, and health care professionals, including online courses, downloadable handouts, webinars, and continuing medical education (CME) programs
- Health Equity Advancement and Leadership (HEAL) program – Addresses health disparities in communities that bear the heaviest burden of asthma
- National Institutes of Health (NIH) partnership – Promotes clinical research that aims to better understand asthma, food allergies, and related conditions like eczema, and find ways to better diagnose and treat people with these allergic conditions
- Research and reports – patient-centered research that aims to enhance the understanding of asthma and allergic diseases and their impact
- Online communities for patients and caregivers – Forums where you can connect with other people who manage asthma, allergies, allergic skin conditions, and food allergies for information and moral support
- Black Women’s Asthma Alliance – an online support and educational group for Black women who live with asthma or are caregivers to people with asthma
In Memory Of
- Scotty, 20 (2022)
- Abbie Benford, 15 (2013)
- Miles Sebastian Bengco, 11 (2013)
- Jason Berube, 51 (2024)
- Reverend Marvin Bradley
- Anthony J. Chapman, 23 (2007)
- John Cincotta, 75 (2023)
- Giovanni Cipriano, 14 (2013)
- Keisha Clay, 34 (2019)
- Jessica Jan Cochran, 29 (2023)
- Oakley Debbs, 11 (2016)
- Zeynah Layali DeGroef, 9 (2023)
- Miranda DeOnofrio, 20 (2017)
- Alessandra Del Principe, 26 (2021)
- Austin Dodds, 16 (2016)
- Vincent Ferrara (2020)
- Robert Gardner (2021)
- Donald Hargest, 76 (2024)
- Logan Jackson, 4 (2018)
- Justin Kendrick, 23 (2022)
- Laura Levis, 34 (2016)
- Ahmad Malik, 56
- Jordan L. Mathews, 24 (2019)
- Delaney Ray McLaughlin, 16 (2023)
- Aja Giovanni McLeod, 22 (2019)
- Sarenytie Minor, 10 (2013)
- Patrick Neary, 33 (2023)
- Saffron Pamela Nelson, 4 (2023)
- Nicola Parrotta, 70 (2021)
- Brennan Nicole Passons, 11 (2011)
- Tiffany Phu, 13 (2014)
- Gary Pucket, 44 (2023)
- Joyce Richardson, 62 (2024)
- Ann Rinaldi, 62 (2023)
- Andrea May Sheets, 6 (2023)
- Joseph “Joey” Shepherd, 34 (2021)
- Elijah Silvera, 3 (2017)
- EJ Simbol (2023)
- Marisa Smock, 19 (2015)
- Keyshawn Tatum, 20 (2022)
- Michael “Mikey” Thomas (2021)
- Jaydra Tippetts, 23 (2023)
- Ricky Tran, 43 (2020)
- Amber Tringale, 48 (2018)
- Jordan Vison, 30 (2020)
- Emily Vonder Meulen, 16 (2006)
- Kenneth Wardwell, 74 (2023)
- Kirk Williams, 28 (2020)
This is just a small number of people we are honoring today who have lost their lives to asthma and anaphylaxis. Have you lost a loved one to asthma or anaphylaxis? Honor them in the comments below.
References
1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2023). Most Recent National Asthma Data, Mortality. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. https://www.cdc.gov/asthma/mos...onal_asthma_data.htm
2. Jerschow, E., Lin, R. Y., Scaperotti, M. M., & McGinn, A. P. (2014). Fatal anaphylaxis in the United States 1999-2010: temporal patterns and demographic associations. The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 134(6), 1318-1328.e7. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaci.2014.08.018
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