Food Allergy "Xmas List" for Epinephrine Auto-Injector Manufacturers

Dear Epinephrine Auto-Injector Manufacturers:

Thank you so much for reading Food Allergy Buzz's blog, tweets and Facebook posts over the years. In August 2012, I suggested that more celebrities--like Adrian Peterson, who at the time had just publicly acknowledged his seafood allergy--step up to bring more attention and more awareness to food allergies. Not long after, Jerome Bettis, Adrian Peterson and other celebrities were brought on by the manufacturers of epinephrine auto-injectors to do exactly that--help promote food allergy awareness.

While celebrities are good at being attention grabbers, they live very different lives than the average individual managing life threatening food allergies. As a blogger, the possibility of interviewing a celebrity who happened to have food allergies was somewhat appealing. As a parent of a child with food allergies, however, I questioned what wisdom a celebrity with food allergies would have to impart to me and my readers, that I had not already figured out myself.

It is hard to get over the high prices of everything these days. Prices are going up and up; health insurance covers less and less; and incomes don't seem to be rising at the same rate prices are. It has been a couple decades since I asked for something for Christmas. I have never been big into material things anyway. But I've made something of Xmas list for you, the manufacturers of epinephrine auto-injectors in the U.S.

1. Please bring back Auvi-Q. It was so wonderful to easily fit 2 life-saving epinephrine auto-injectors in our pockets.
2. Someone please make the Epi-bracelet a reality. What a convenient way that would be to carry epinephrine!
3. Please continue the co-pay coupons throughout 2016. They are a God-send for many of us!
4. Please expand your patient assistance programs to help families with insurance with high deductibles more easily afford this life saving medicine.
5. Please consider retaining ordinary individuals managing food allergies--instead of celebrities--to help promote awareness. Most people cannot relate to celebrities.
6. Please consider the diversity of people managing food allergies in the U.S. We come from many different backgrounds and socio-economic situations.

Thank you so much!
Jennifer B

P.S. Let me know what you think of my list! :)