Lark Story Simon was born on 9/7/13, healthy and perfect! After a life-threatening episode and trip to the hospital at 5 months old, she was diagnosed with severe, life-threatening food allergies. Any and all contact with the foods she's allergic to can cause dangerous reactions and require medical intervention. Since being diagnosed we've had to modify our lives to adapt to her situation. As she's grown, she's also been diagnosed with asthma. Her tiny immune system cannot handle both foods AND common childhood illnesses. Any viral illness causes her lungs to close up and she has trouble breathing, causing her heart rate and oxygen levels to drop. The asthma mixed with the food allergies is a double-edged sword. She requires frequent visits to the doctor and allergist and has been hospitalized twice in the last 5 months, once even having pneumonia caused by vomit aspirated into her lungs during an anaphylactic shock and asthma episode. Watching your baby struggle to breathe and seeing her vitals set off hospital alarms is something I hope you never have to go through. In the last year, we've acquired a mountain of debt due to her health issues. Ambulance costs, hospital care, doctor visits, allergy testing, lost wages due to missing work, medications...We have to carry Benadryl, EpiPens, Albuterol and steroid inhalers at all times, EpiPens alone cost $1,000 for two doses. I'm lucky that now my insurance covers a portion of that, but not all of it, and her inhalers are $40+ every time we have to buy a new one, and she requires multiple. Her nebulizer, for her breathing treatments, cost a pretty penny and if it breaks, we are up a creek! These are items can save her life, which can be threatened in a matter of seconds. Not to mention, I gave birth to her brother, Arlo Fox, in July of 2015 and he has since exhibited symptoms of the same issues and requires a special formula that is very expensive and not covered by insurance. It's been a rocky road, and Lark is, quite literally, the bravest person I know. Taking IV's in her arm without even the slightest flinch, laying still for doctors to treat her, taking oral steroids by mouth that taste horrific and keeping a smile on her face. It's not easy for us to ask for help, but we're on an expensive road with her, and possibly Arlo, and trying to make this mountain of debt smaller is consuming us right now. I've started working as a designer for a direct sales jewelry company, which I love, and have been wearing their pieces for awareness for Lark's conditions and to pay the debt, but it's barely making a dent! I was asked to create this page because people have asked to help. Yes, my husband and I both have full-time jobs...yes, we have health insurance...but it's not enough. And we're now facing MORE doctor appointments and MORE specialists that may or may not be covered by insurance. I've donated to many causes myself, and I'm always to lend a helping hand...but this is not for me, it's for Lark. Anything anyone could possibly give us is more than enough. I'd go in debt ten times over to keep her safe. Researchers estimate that up to 15 million Americans have food allergies. This potentially deadly disease affects 1 in every 13 children (under 18 years of age) in the U.S. That’s roughly two in every classroom. Every 3 minutes, a food allergy reaction sends someone to the emergency department – that is more than 200,000 emergency department visits per year. A reaction to food can range from a mild response (such as an itchy mouth) to anaphylaxis, a severe and potentially deadly reaction. Individuals with food allergies who also have asthma may be at increased risk for severe/fatal food allergy reactions. As you can see, it's very stressful for us and her health is our number one priority.  We are hopeful she will outgrow some of these issues, but for now, we can only do our best to keep her away from danger, regardless of cost...