Welcome to MOCHA's new and improved
2018 Spring eNewsletter!
Upcoming Luncheons
FARE New York Spring Luncheon
New York City, NY
Wednesday, April 25
Join us from 11:00 AM to 1:30 PM at Cipriani 42nd Street North.
4th Annual Mary H. Weiser Food Allergy Center Spring Luncheon
West Bloomfield, MI
Thursday, April 26
The Luncheon will take place on Thursday, April 26th from 11:00 AM to 1:15 PM at Knollwood Country Club in West Bloomfield, Michigan.
FARE 7th Annual
Chicago Luncheon
Chicago, IL
Friday, May 11
FARE's 7th Annual Chicago Luncheon will take place on Friday, May 11th from 10:30 AM to 1:30 PM at the Four Seasons Hotel Chicago. Please join co-chairs Denise Bunning, Linda Levinson Friend and Karin Teglia for this exciting event that features a delicious lunch, an entertaining and informative cooking demonstration, a marketplace, and an inspiring program. Keynote speaker: Richard Blais, chef/food allergy dad. Honoree: Sarah Grueneberg, chef/partner of Monteverde Restaurant & Pastificio.
FARE 2nd Annual
Connecticut Fall Luncheon
Greenwich, CT
Wednesday, November 7
Join us for the FARE 2nd Annual Connecticut Spring Luncheon in Greenwich on Wednesday, November 7, 2018 from 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM at the Greenwich Country Club.
Upcoming Events
Gluten Free &
Allergen Friendly Expo
Schaumburg, IL
Saturday, April 7 & Sunday, April 8
Join us for exhibits and classes throughout the weekend in Schaumburg. The expo is the biggest gluten free and allergen friendly event in the US!
Midwest FACES Conference
 Chicago, IL
Saturday, June 9 & Sunday, June 10
Presented by SOAAR (Science & Outcomes of Allergy & Asthma Research), together with Lurie Children’s Hospital and Northwestern Medicine, this free event provides a forum for families to learn from top researchers, expand their network of support, and get questions answered.
EoS Connection 2018
Denver, CO
Friday, July 6 & Saturday, July 7
APFED's 16th Annual Patient Education Conference will be held in Denver, Colorado.
FARE Chicago Heroes Walk
for Food Allergy
Montrose Harbor- Chicago, IL
Saturday, October 13
Food Allergy Heroes Walks exist to recognize the courage and determination of food allergy families, and to empower these everyday heroes to end food allergy fears for good. Through widespread fundraising and walks across the country, thousands of families come together to unite behind their commitment to FARE’s mission and raise funds that will change their children’s lives through research, education, advocacy and broad awareness. More details here. The Chicago FARE Food Allergy Heroes Walk is scheduled for Saturday, October 13, 2018 in Montrose Harbor. Please note this is a new location! 
FARECon Featuring Teen Summit
Washington DC
Friday, November 2 - Sunday, November 4
This NEW event from FARE combines the best of the Annual Conference with the very popular Teen Summit. As it has for the past 12 years, Teen Summit will offer tweens, teens, young adults and their parents the chance to come together for a weekend of education, support and new friendships. With the addition of new educational programming for parents and adults managing food allergies and registered dietitians serving the food allergy community, this event will serve people in all stages of the food allergy journey.
Food Allergy Community:
Get Involved!
Save a Life:
Recognizing and Responding to Anaphylaxis
Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE) is pleased to announce “Save a Life: Recognizing and Responding to Anaphylaxis,” a free online course available on FARE's website! This 15-minute course covers a number of important topics including the definition and causes of anaphylaxis, how to recognize signs of anaphylaxis, what to do if someone is having an anaphylactic reaction, and how to safely use an epinephrine auto-injector. Individuals will take a quiz following the course and may print out a certificate of completion. 
FARE Patient Registry
If you haven't already, we encourage you to join the FARE Patient Registry. Why? The information you provide will help researchers to better understand how food allergies affect individual patients and what therapies can be developed to help them. Participants can use the registry to compare their food allergy history with others and record each accidental exposure. Any data entered is anonymous and secure. 

Clinical Trial Opportunities
Clinical trials are a type of research that compares one treatment with another, and helps determine the most effective and safest treatment for diseases. Clinical trials allow participants to take a more active role in their healthcare, access new treatments, and contribute to medical research. 


Immunotherapy Studies at Lurie Children's Hospital
The Food Allergy Research Team at Lurie is the leading clinical trials team in the Chicagoland area participating in multiple Immunotherapy studies for wheat, peanut, milk, multiple foods and other approaches. The purpose of Immunotherapy studies is to learn whether or not it can lessen the body’s sensitivity or response to an allergen, resulting in less severe or no allergic reactions. They are currently participating in DBV Technologies Epicutaneous (on the skin – via a patch) Immunotherapy studies. They are also participating in Aimmune Therapeutics Oral Immunotherapy (OIT) studies. Studies for Aimmune require ingestion of an allergen (peanut) in small doses that gradually increase over time. The Food Allergy Research Team is excited about the promising results presented for both OIT and Patch studies that are anticipated to be submitted to the FDA for approval later this year. The research team welcomes peoples’ interest in learning about future studies at Lurie Children’s.
Allergic Living Magazine: Aimmune Theraputics
Allergic Living Magazine has recently reported on the successful peanut OIT therapy clinical trial conducted by Aimmune Therapeutics. “For the first time in the history of food allergy, a large-scale, late-stage clinical trial has shown that oral immunotherapy, done with our investigational medicine, AR101, significantly increased the amount of peanut protein that a patient could consume with no more than mild symptoms,” CEO Stephen Dilly said on a call to investors on Feb. 20. At the end of the one-year study, about two-thirds of peanut-allergic patients were able to eat 600 mg, or approximately two peanuts, which was considerably more than the placebo group. An impressive number were able to tolerate even more at one sitting. 
Chicago News
The FASE Program at Lurie Children's Hospital
Food Allergy Support and Education (FASE) hosts monthly Essentials of Food Allergy Workshops, topic-based workshops, and Kids’ Food Allergy Hangouts for patients and friends of Lurie Children's, giving children with food allergy opportunities to be with peers who share their experiences. The FASE Program is led by Sarah Boudreau-Romano, MD, allergist and food allergy mom. Register today for two upcoming Kid Food Allergy Hangouts presented by FASE (Food Allergy Support and Education) Program. Give your kids a chance to meet others going through the same experience. Dates are in May and June.
Northwestern University: Peer-to-Peer Videos
Dr. Ruchi Gupta and her team have developed peer-to-peer food allergy educational videos that can be shown in classrooms! There are three videos tailored to different grade levels with corresponding FAQ sheets, teacher guides, and discussion questions for use in classrooms. The videos will allow peers to better understand and support their food allergic classmates.
Have you tried the Spokin App?
The Spokin platform empowers consumers with food allergies and celiac to live the fullest life possible by connecting them quickly to a wide range of resources. Spokin's app customizes each user’s experience to their allergies, location, and interests. Users can discover and share allergy-friendly foods, restaurants, bakeries, hotels, and more. The platform is designed to be informative, engaging and beautiful.
University of Chicago:
Celiac Disease Event!
Join the University of Chicago Celiac Disease Center for their annual Spring Flours Gluten-Free Gala on Friday, April 20, 2018 at 6:00PM. This event will honor and thank The Celiac Disease Center’s founder, Dr. Stefano Guandalini, for a lifetime of accomplishments & contributions.
Hey, Chicago Sports Fans!
Check out these allergy-friendly games...
Want More?
"How To Stay Alive - Take Two"
"This is What I Know"
Have you tried OWYN yet?
For those looking for a complete protein to boost their body-building and workout benefits, OWYN is a 100% vegan plant-based protein brand that never compromises taste, while always providing superior health benefits.
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MOCHA Co-Founders:
Denise Bunning
Anne Thompson
MOCHA is a group of parents sharing information and supporting each other. MOCHA offers support, education, and friendship, to help make managing your child’s food allergies just a little bit easier. Check out our website for the most current news and resources. Presentations from previous meetings are available on the website under the “Meetings” tab. Click the sign up link above to be added to our email distribution!
Disclaimer: MOCHA is not a professional or medical organization. It is a group of parents sharing information and supporting each other. The views and opinions expressed in any articles, links, or other third-party content shared or distributed by MOCHA do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of MOCHA and the distribution thereof should not be interpreted as an endorsement by MOCHA. The discussions, meeting minutes, handouts, speakers, and other products of our support group do not constitute medical and/or legal advice and should not be relied upon as such. Always discuss individual health questions and medical issues with a qualified personal physician.