From Aida

I am launching this fundraiser for Tessa Adams and her treatment at the SoCal Food Allergy Institute. Her mom, Katie, and I met in 1990 and we have grown up together. They are family to me. Katie and Cris have taught me so much about being an advocate for our kids and for having joy amid incredibly hard circumstances. I have seen firsthand the amazing progress Tessa has had with the SoCal Food Allergy Insitute and I am excited and hopeful for her future.

From Katie

The Back Story: 

Tessa is an amazing little girl who has fought to overcome a lot of obstacles. Every day she deals with several silent monsters that rule her life....in fact they rule our entire family's life. Tessa was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes at the age of three. Her blood sugars and allergies have always been difficult to manage and so difficult that she has required an aide at school to help keep her blood sugar in a safe range and protected from her allergens. A year after the diagnosis of T1D Tess went into anaphylactic shock from eating a Cashew. Since then she has been tested and is highly allergic to all tree nuts and seeds. She was then diagnosed with Asthma and Celiac disease the following year. She has had a rough go, but continues to keep her head high and not let any of these issues stop her from living her life to the fullest! 

The Need: 

The reason that we are setting up a Go Fund Me is because we have the opportunity to help continue to reprogram part of Tessa's immune system. We have the chance to help Tessa's allergies to all tree nuts disappear. Tessa has been receiving treatment from The Southern California Food Allergy Institute for the past 3 years! The SoCal Food Allergy Institute is not yet covered by insurance and is a minimum of $10,000/year ($5000 which covers some treatment costs and then $4,000 in lab fees and more in supplements and specialty foods). Since enrolling in the program Tessa has made dramatic improvements! It is truly amazing to see how far she has come! She is now able to eat small amounts of different seeds and flours (mustard, chia, flax, coconut, pea, chickpea... ) with no issues. She is amazingly now also able to eat 4 almonds, 1 macadamia nut and several peanuts every single day. This girl is eating nuts, you guys! It is crazy! Tessa is diligent and committed to this process as are Cris and I. With as much progress as we have made, we are not at the finish line yet. We still have some really large hurdles that will most likely take another 2 years to accomplish. Shortly we will start working towards cashews and pistachios......the nuts that started it all! With all of the tree nut allergies that Tessa has, there is no doubt that it will take several years to complete the program and have total food freedom. As a parent, this is something that we have to do. 

Your Impact on Tessa's Future: 

We have the opportunity to change the course of Tessa's entire life.....to provide safety in unknown situations....I can not cure Type 1 Diabetes, I cannot cure her asthma or celiac, but we have a chance to cure this for her! I cannot wait for the day when I do not have to worry if she has pushed an elevator button that someone else touched after eating nuts or a library book or a doll from a friend ( all real live instances that caused huge allergic reactions) She is truly that sensitive! Her allergies are silent and hidden and so deadly that we are on high alert at all times. We can fix this for her and give her the freedom to breathe easier and know that she is safe! If there was ever a little girl that deserved this opportunity it is my Tessa! If you know her I am pretty sure that you would agree too!