Arkansas adopts Elijah’s Law to protect children with food allergies
The Natural State has now expanded protections for kids with food allergies after Governor Sanders made Arkansas the sixth state to put Elijah’s Law into place.
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — In 2017, Thomas Silvera and Dina Hawthorne experienced the unimaginable when they tragically and unexpectedly lost their 3-year-old son, Elijah.
“He was in daycare and he had a severe anaphylactic reaction to a grilled cheese sandwich, and he was allergic to milk, so the workers in that childcare setting in New York didn’t watch or didn’t understand what the reaction was,” described Kenneth Mendez, the CEO and President of the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA).
Elijah’s reaction proved to be fatal, but the family’s tragedy birthed a mission to raise awareness regarding food allergies.
“All the credit goes to Thomas and Dina for establishing Elijah’s Law and foundation. And they first started this in New York because of this tragic occurrence with Elijah,” Mendez explained.
On September 12, 2019, Elijah’s Law was signed in New York.
Now, six years after it was signed in New York, the law was signed by Governor Sanders here in Arkansas.
“Elijah Silvera’s death was tragic, but his legacy will be that every child in Arkansas has their unique needs met when they are at daycare. I was proud to sign Elijah’s law and make our state a safer place for our youngest and most vulnerable kids,” said Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders.
The law requires all child care programs to follow stringent food allergy guidelines to prevent, recognize, and respond to life-threatening anaphylaxis and severe allergic reactions.
“If the child is vomiting, perhaps it’s not because of an upset stomach. It could be because of an allergic reaction,” Mendez said. “They can’t even speak in some cases, because they’re so young.”
As of now, Arkansas has become the 6th state in the nation to adopt the law. Other states include:
- New York’s Elijah’s Law | S218B/A6971B
- Illinois’ Elijah’s Law | HB0102
- Pennsylvania’s Elijah’s Law | HB1259
- Virginia’s Elijah’s Law | SB 737/HB 1328
- California’s Elijah’s Law | AB2042
Dr. Ashley Stoner with the Little Rock Allergy and Asthma Clinic is someone who spends her time helping and educating others on how to save a life.
“Packing your kid’s lunch so you know exactly what their snacks are, what they’re eating,” Stoner said. “The first thing I always tell both daycare employees and parents is never hesitate to use the epinephrine.”
Stoner explained how Epi-Pens are the first line of defense when fighting a severe allergic reaction.
That knowledge is the reason why Elijah’s Law can help save a child’s life.
“Laws like this are really important. They will help protect to make sure that we don’t have another tragedy like we did with Elijah,” Stoner said.
Elijah’s father, co-founder of the Elijah-Alavi Foundation released the following statement in response to Arkansas passing Elijah’s Law:
“With every state that passes Elijah’s Law, we are reminded that our work is bigger than our own loss; it is about protecting every child with severe food allergies and asthma. Each law is a step forward in Elijah’s legacy, ensuring that no family has to suffer what we did. Our mission is to turn our pain into progress, creating safer communities and offering hope to families everywhere.”
Both Missouri and Pennsylvania are also close to getting their own versions of Elijah’s Law.
To learn more about the Elijah-Avela Foundation, please click here.