Court of Appeals Judge Neal McBrayer was one of several speakers who visited Capshaw Elementary School in Cookeville to discuss personal experiences with severe food allergies.
Gov. Bill Haslam declared May 8-14 Food Allergy Awareness Week. The community started a 1EVERY3 awareness campaign because, in this country, one person goes to the emergency room with a food-allergy reaction every three minutes. Families affected by allergies are working to educate the public about how prevalent this problem is and how many ER visits are preventable if children avoid sharing food, wash their hands after eating peanut butter, and bring toys to school instead of potential allergens.
Judge McBrayer was diagnosed with allergies to beef, pork, and lamb several years ago. He recently went to the emergency room from eating mashed potatoes that he did not know had been cross-contaminated with steak.
The assembly at Capshaw Elementary School included speakers talking about food allergies and ways to keep the children safe. Speakers included Deputy Commissioner of Population Health Dr. Michael Warren, Cookeville Mayor Ricky Shelton, Putnam County Schools Superintendent Jerry Boyd, Judge McBrayer, and Travis Moths, pitcher for Tennessee Tech University.
The students also heard from Dr. Travis Cain from the Allergy, Asthma and Sinus Center, who explained food allergies and offered ideas of how they could help.
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