If you’ve known Dana or Janson Roberts for any amount of time, you know that they are givers. Givers of their time, their home, their love, their gifts, their money and more. Now, it is OUR chance to give to them as they spend the next 5+ years traveling back and forth to California to provide their 5-year-old son, Owen, with the best medical treatments available for his multiple severe / potentially life-threatening allergies. They will be spending several days, several times a year, going through the Tolerance Induction Program at the SoCal Allergy Institute. Needless to say, medical bills, flights, hotels, rental cars and meals will all add up. But, at the end of this treatment, the doctors expect his allergies to be eliminated and for him to be able to live a life that is free of fear and can finally involve playdates, school, family vacations, new babysitters, and so much more that all currently need to be approached with extreme caution. Whether your love is for this mom and dad who want to give their son a childhood that is free from this heavy worry, or for this sweet boy who will get to live that childhood, your support for their family will mean the world to them. They estimate the process to cost around $50,000.

Some background on Owen’s story….

By the time Owen was just 5 months old, he was already being seen by an allergist due to his severe eczema and constant vomiting after eating. He was diagnosed early on with an allergy to milk and eggs, which has since grown to include tree nuts and sesame. His reactions are anaphylactic, so when they occur it quickly turns into a life-saving trip to the Emergency Room. This sweet 5-year-old boy who loves monster trucks, Super Mario, and his little brother, Ethan, has been mistakenly given non-vegan ice cream at the ice cream shop, potatoes that were cross-contaminated with egg, and pecan (before he was diagnosed with a pecan allergy). That is already three life-saving ER trips in his short life.

Because of the severity of his allergies, there are many things that most 5-year-olds get to do that Owen doesn’t do. Dana & Janson have to plan all their travel to include bringing enough food for every meal and having access to a kitchen, enough allergy-friendly food for potential flight delays, and noting where the nearest Emergency Room is located in case there’s an issue. Needless to say, a dream would be for Owen to have the experience of a real ice cream cone, a worry-free vacation, or a friend’s home-cooked meal. But, that isn’t a safe option at this point. The hardest part for Dana & Janson is the fear of someone else being responsible for protecting his life. Sending him to school, camps, play dates, and all the other things most kids his age are involved in are all things that are more complicated for him because of the severity of his allergies. He’s such a sweet boy and has been great about accepting the substitutions he’s given when everyone else is eating something he can’t have.

I know Dana and Janson are prepared to sacrifice a lot to afford this treatment and give Owen a life free from these worries. However, the donations we contribute will truly help ease the burden on their family. Whether or not you are able to support the Roberts family financially, please be praying for safety, provision, and success as they embark on this journey.

Why travel to California, instead of treating Owen in Illinois?

Oral immunotherapy, or OIT, is the treatment that most people with food allergies might be familiar with. This option is available locally but due to the nature of the therapy, many kids suffer from side effects. This therapy would administer small doses of the actual allergen. This doesn’t promise food freedom but only that accidental ingestion would hopefully be less severe. There’s about an 80% success rate.

The therapy they've chosen to do at the SoCal Allergy Institute administers a food derivative instead of the actual allergen. This essentially eliminates any risk of reaction mild or otherwise. As long as you follow their protocol, they have a 99% success rate that will lead to Owen being able to eat as much of the food he wants, whenever he wants, for the rest of his life.