Check My Tag, LLC introduces a line of Food Allergy Alert apparel for toddlers
(www.checkmytag.com). The patent-pending clothes are designed to help prevent anaphylaxis (severe allergic reactions) by alerting caregivers to the presence of food allergies as well as educating them on crucial life-saving steps in the event of a reaction. Experts estimate that up to 8% of children under the age of six in the U.S. alone live with life-threatening food allergies. The number of diagnosed cases has doubled in the last five years. Approximately 100 Americans, usually children, die annually from food-induced anaphylaxis.
The product line was developed by Ria Sharon, whose 13-month old son was diagnosed with severe food allergies in March 2005. “With his first anaphylactic reaction, my life changed,” Ria recalls. “I felt helpless to protect him against the potential dangers that lurked in so many commonly found foods.”
“I began searching immediately for resources that would help me manage his condition, in a way that would allow him to experience and enjoy life like any other child his age. Specifically, I wanted something that would give me back my confidence in being able to keep him safe. To my surprise, everything that was currently available in terms of alert products were not practical solutions for us.” Ria applied her creative skills to develop a solution that eased her own anxiety and empowered her son's teachers and babysitters to care for him safely.
Check My Tag clothes are safe from choking, strangulation and electric shock. Each garment can be personalized to include all of a child’s own specific trigger foods. In addition, ‘What to Do in Case of A Reaction’ is immediately accessible, rather than a phone call away. Her prototypes were met with such positive responses from childcare providers, physicians, and other parents that she recognized a way to help other families who face the same challenges.
Also available is a Safewear Kit that in addition to a shirt or a dress, includes food allergy accessories that assist parents in providing consistent communication to their child’s caregivers. Included in the Safewear Kit is a pouch for carrying medications, a detailed Emergency Action Plan, a Consent to Treat form, a door hanger, a poster, and a fabric pen.
Before deciding to spend more time to her children, Ria was the Creative Director for a marketing communications firm in St. Louis where she was responsible for multi-million dollar branding assignments. “I feel like my training and experience in design prepared me for this task. There are millions of young children in the U.S. suffer from food allergies. Until there is a cure, I am in a position to make a difference with products that educate and raise awareness. This alert product creates safer environments for all young children at risk.”
Check My Tag clothes and kits are available online at www.checkmytag.com or by calling toll free (888) 636-6405. Clothes retail for $25-$27. Safewear Kits retail for $35-$37. Check My Tag donates a portion of the proceeds to food allergy awareness and research organizations.
The following media assets are available for editorial review at
www.checkmytag.com/press_media.html * Our Story (Word, pdf)
* Press Releases (Word, pdf)
* Photos of Products (web and press ready)
