Tessa is an amazing little girl who has fought to overcome a lot of obstacles.  Everyday she deals with several silent monsters that rule her life....in fact they rule our entire families 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 in fact so difficult that she requires an aide at school in order 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. 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 reason that we are setting up a Go Fund Me is because we have the opportunity to help reprogram part of Tessa's immune system.  We have the chance in the near future to help Tessa's allergies to all tree nuts disappear.  We are nearing the top of a two year long waitlist at The Southern California Food Allergy Institute! The SoCal Food Allergy Institute is not yet covered by insurance and is a minimum of $6,000/year ($4500 donation which covers office costs and some treatment costs and then several thousands of dollars in lab fees).  With all of the tree nut allergies that Tessa has, there is no doubt that it will take several years to get through the program.  As a parent this is something that we have to do.  We have the opportunity to change the course of her entire life.....to provide safety in unknown situations....I can not cure Type 1 Diabetes, I cannot cure her asthma or celiacs, but we have a chance to cure this for her.....and honestly I can not wait to get started!   
Just as some background for you on how severe Tessa's allergies are, she cannot stand at the checkout line at Costco, because it is next to the nuts.  She cannot touch an elevator button or a library book that someone else has touched after eating nuts.  The other day she reacted while on a bike ride in our neighborhood.  I ended up having to give her an epipen as her throat was closing and eyes swelling shut. 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 freedom to breathe easier and know that she safe!