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Cure Saoirse's Peanut Allergy

$2330raised of $3550 goal
65%

Organizer: Pamela Kelley Beneficiary: Saoirse Kelley

Oral immunotherapy treatment for food allergies is not covered by insurance, but it saves lives!

This fundraiser is closed

Saoirse has a life threatening peanut allergy. Saoirse's allergy is severe. If she were to ingest even a microscopic amount of peanut, she risks the possibilty of fatal anaphylactic shock.

Saoirse was diagnosed at age 2 with peanut allergy. Her first reaction seemed mild with small hives around her mouth after eating some peanuts. A year later, in the summer of 2011, Saoirse got a tiny amount of peanut residue in her eye which precipitated an anaphylactic reaction. In 15 minutes, her eyes and face swelled, she was sneezing and coughing up fluid and mucus uncontrollably, and her breathing was threatened. She became quiet and lethargic on the ride to the hospital, and we were terrified. The doctors placed an IV and gave her medication to fight the reaction. Saoirse was too sick to even fight the needle stick. In the picture gallery there is photo of her in the ER after 1 hour of being stabilized.

Currently our only treatment is to avoid peanut and carry Epi-pens with us wherever she goes. Sometimes, even epinephrine cannot reverse anaphylaxis once it starts. This is why we obsessively check labels. We avoid most restaurants. Saoirse cannot go out for ice cream. She can't eat birthday cake at her friends' parties. She is 4 years old and she can tell you what foods threaten her life. Saoirse wants to "belong" and be able to do and eat what everyone else can. As her parents, we just want to make sure we don't lose our baby over a peanut.

There is hope for Saoirse!

Her allergist offers groundbreaking OIT (oral immunotherapy) treatment for peanut allergy. This consists of taking tiny amounts of peanut by mouth twice a day, and increasing the dosage weekly. If successful, she will be able to eat 12 whole, real peanuts twice a day - effectively curing her. Saoirse is excited to know that she will one day be able to eat food without fear.

Our insurance company is refusing to cover this treatment and we are asking for your help!

Saoirse's start date for treatment is May 2, 2013. She will then go once a week to the allergist for an updosing appointment. There are anywhere from 20-25 updosing appointments during the therapy. After that she will be on "maintenance" and eat peanuts once a day to maintain her tolerance to peanut.

Here's some videos of her amazing doctor - Dr. Richard Wasserman - describing the process:

Dr. Wasserman on the show Mom's Everyday

Dr. Wasserman on NBC 5

PS: her name is pronounced sayr-shuh, it's Gaelic for freedom and liberty. You can listen to author Frank McCourt pronounce her name here: Saoirse
Contact the Organizer

Updates

04/09/2013
by Pamela Kelley
I haven't posted in a while. We got our blood test results last month and her numbers had dropped on peanut. The Dr. thought perhaps she might be outgrowing her allergy and asked we do a food challenge to prove her allergy. Today we completed the challenge - well actually failed it. She received her first dose of peanut, and about 3 minutes later she said "Mommy, my lip feels funny" Sure enough, her lip was swelling up! This was about 3/100ths of a peanut that caused this reaction. We stopped the challenge then and there because that was enough to prove she was still allergic. Imagine what her reaction could have been at an entire peanut! We got sooo lucky that it was just a swollen lip with the tiniest dose.


03/14/2013
by Pamela Kelley
We had to raise the goal amount today. We have been informed that the billing estimates given were incorrect, and we have to pay for an office visit each day we go in for treatment on top of the payment for the updose. This makes things quite a bit more expensive, but we will get there, one way or another!


03/03/2013
by Pamela Kelley
Another lowering of goal today as we received another donation in the mail. Thank you to Grandma! We love you!


02/20/2013
by Pamela Kelley
We are lowering our goal amount again thanks to more donations that came outside of the site! Many loving thanks to the Sevak family and the Peterson family!!!!


02/10/2013
by Pamela Kelley
We are still on track for May 2nd. She goes to an appointment in April to check her lung function, her asthma has to be well controlled before we can start OIT. We are also going to do another blood test before she starts to check her IgE level to peanut. Along with that we will run tree nut levels to see if she is allergic to any tree nuts. We generally avoid them too because most tree nuts are processed along with peanuts in factories, but have been eating peanut free almonds and pistachios at home. We just want to make sure before we try any others like pecan, walnut, etc. Crossing our fingers!


02/05/2013
by Pamela Kelley
Whoohoo! I'm so amazed. grateful, and just plain humbled. We have raised over $1250 dollars in less than a week! THANK YOU!


02/01/2013
by Pamela Kelley
Thanks to a generous donation that Johnna Nitcholas-Ivey sent to us, we have dropped our goal amount! We can't manually add donations to the site, so we will be dropping the total goal when we get donations that don't come through the site. Thanks Johnna!

 




01/31/2013
by Pamela Kelley
We have our appointment set! May 2nd we will arrive at the office at 8am. We will stay all day until around 3 or so. Saoirse will get increasing doses every 15 minutes of peanut solution and the goal is to end at 2.5mg of peanut protein. This is about 1/400th of a peanut. If she starts having symptoms at a lower dose they will stop the process and send us home on the last dose she is okay with.

Thanks everyone for continued support! Please share and pass along.


01/29/2013
by Pamela Kelley
Thanks so much! We are so grateful that we have reached 3% of our goal in less than 24 hours. We are feeling the love for sure. <3



Supporters

Mike Snider
donated$100.00
Friday, May 03, 2013

Best Wishes for a full cure and recovery.



Anonymous
donatedHidden Amount
Tuesday, April 30, 2013



Jennifer Whittington
donated$10.00
Tuesday, April 30, 2013



christopher creel
donated$50.00
Monday, April 29, 2013



Anonymous
donated$10.00
Saturday, April 27, 2013

good luck with your girl



C Burgarello
donated$20.00
Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Good luck Saoirse!



Kevin Brinson
donated$40.00
Sunday, April 14, 2013



P Jester
donated$40.00
Sunday, April 14, 2013



Todd Hartsell
donatedHidden Amount
Sunday, April 14, 2013



The Lanes
donatedHidden Amount
Saturday, April 13, 2013



David Traylor
donated$50.00
Saturday, April 13, 2013

Can't go through life dodging peanuts. Too hard. Penalty too severe.



Holt/Dickerson Family
donated$75.00
Friday, April 12, 2013

We love you bunches and bunches, Saoirse!!! Love, Glenn, Cat, Eva, Eliza & Rufus



Anonymous
donated$25.00
Friday, April 12, 2013



Anonymous
donated$25.00
Tuesday, April 09, 2013



Anonymous
donated$5.00
Thursday, April 04, 2013



Allan
donatedHidden Amount
Thursday, April 04, 2013



Will & Lori Ellington
donated$25.00
Friday, March 22, 2013

We hope this helps a little with your daughter's doctor visits.



Kay & OIiver
donated$25.00
Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Can't wait to hang out with y'all - and eventually have pb&nanner sangwiches!



Joyce Murillo
donatedHidden Amount
Sunday, March 17, 2013

Lots of hug, prayers and love to a special girl who will win this battle with allergies.



Vicky Wu
donated$50.00
Thursday, March 14, 2013

My son had a red food dye intolerance when he was around your daughter's age. Nothing like the reaction you're seeing - he would just get REALLY hyper. But we found doing this same type of slow and controlled introduction of the food (ours wasn't from a doctor - they sort of thought we were nuts) made it where by the time he was in middle school, it didn't affect him any more. So I wish you best of luck! And I'm still a bit amazed to think headbanger from highschool Howard Kelley has a little girl ;)



Anonymous
donated$50.00
Thursday, March 14, 2013

Good Luck! Darin and Caren



Kim
donated$25.00
Monday, March 11, 2013



Jessica and Ansley
donatedHidden Amount
Monday, February 25, 2013

We will be praying that this is SUPER successful!! Can't wait!



Karen K
donatedHidden Amount
Monday, February 25, 2013



IreneGonzalez
donated$25.00
Friday, February 22, 2013

God Bless You. I hope the Dr. finds a cure to help Saoirse.



Shelley Crist
donated$20.00
Thursday, February 21, 2013

We've got our fingers crossed.



Sista
donatedHidden Amount
Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Sorry it's not more!



Jack Kirby
donated$50.00
Wednesday, February 20, 2013



Kendall Perry
donatedHidden Amount
Sunday, February 10, 2013

Come Play soon and hope you get better!



Jason and Nancy Koen
donatedHidden Amount
Saturday, February 09, 2013

XOXO



Keesha
donated$50.00
Saturday, February 09, 2013

Hope all goes well and she is eating cupcakes with her friends before you know it!



Claudia Todd
donatedHidden Amount
Friday, February 08, 2013



Roz
donatedHidden Amount
Wednesday, February 06, 2013

Hoping this is treatment is a success!



Bette Talkington
donated$100.00
Tuesday, February 05, 2013



Lisa Hassett
donated$25.00
Tuesday, February 05, 2013



Fernando
donated$30.00
Tuesday, February 05, 2013

This is from Bruce & Penny Rennie. Lots of prayers going to your family for a wonderful end to the peanut allergy.



Tammy Grones
donatedHidden Amount
Sunday, February 03, 2013

I hope everything goes better than planned!!! I have done some research on the effects of gluten to the overall immune system also. I've seen some studies that say it can exacerbate other food allergies to the point of what you guys are experiencing. Check it out and see what your doctor thinks. Good luck and.many prayers!



Anonymous
donated$20.00
Saturday, February 02, 2013



Julie and Chris Jackson
donated$100.00
Saturday, February 02, 2013

Rock on, Saoirse!



Hawken Acupuncture
donated$50.00
Saturday, February 02, 2013



Robert W
donated$50.00
Saturday, February 02, 2013



Helen Stark
donated$100.00
Saturday, February 02, 2013



Uncle Dru
donated$100.00
Saturday, February 02, 2013

I am thankful to contribute to this super awesome child's well being. Thank you. And I hate peanuts anyway! Been allergic to them all my life so Saoirse, be strong warrior princess!



Anonymous
donated$100.00
Friday, February 01, 2013

I pray this will cure Saoirse!



Anonymous
donated$25.00
Thursday, January 31, 2013



Ben Bonner
donated$25.00
Thursday, January 31, 2013



josh rowland
donated$20.00
Wednesday, January 30, 2013

good luck!!!!



Suzanne Woytasczyk Wheeler
donated$20.00
Wednesday, January 30, 2013

I had a student with a peanut allergy. It was heart breaking when he could not participate in school parties with his peers. I hope in her future school years she will not have to face being "different" than her peers. Good luck!!!!!



Madelline
donated$50.00
Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Good luck!



Desirae Embree
donatedHidden Amount
Tuesday, January 29, 2013



Anonymous
donated$20.00
Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Our love and prayers. May you and your family be blessed in all ways possible.



Lisa
donatedHidden Amount
Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Best of luck!



NR & IC
donated$40.00
Tuesday, January 29, 2013

xoxox



genevieve gallaway
donatedHidden Amount
Tuesday, January 29, 2013

xoxoxo

Comments


Joyce
This site worked tonight.

Pamela Kelley
Sorry ladies! Not sure why it's not working for some. Please let me know if it gives trouble again and I'll email the site. I appreciate EVERYTHING. So grateful.

Joyce Murillo
I also tried, said it'll take up to two days. This is showing that there really are good, caring people in this world. It's all for the love of a child!

Bette Talkington
I tried to donate twice tonight and it says can not process at this time, try again! :(gh

Joyce Murillo
I'll certainly help you out. Thank-you for sharing this and best of luck to a very special little girl.

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