(Sponsored Post) Greetings! I am Maha Maturo. You may know my son, Auggie, from his role on “Girl Meets World.”
Together, we recently joined Mylan on an important initiative to share our personal story about a topic that affects Auggie and undoubtedly many people in your community: potentially life-threatening (severe) allergies.
Like an estimated one in every 13 kids in the U.S., Auggie has severe allergies and was diagnosed after he experienced a life-threatening allergic reaction, or anaphylaxis, as a young child. I remember the day vividly; we were celebrating Easter with family when he tried a cashew for the first time. His lips began to swell, his throat began to close, and he started to vomit. We took him directly to the emergency room, where he was treated and released with a prescription for EpiPen Jr® (epinephrine injection) Auto-Injector. After that, we learned that Auggie is allergic to tree nuts, peanuts, sesame and coconut.
Since that experience, we have learned a lot about how to be prepared for a life-threatening allergic reaction – and even at the young age of 7 – Auggie has learned about the importance of being his own advocate and speaking up about his food allergies. So, we have joined the EpiPen® On Location™ initiative to help other families understand what we have learned; even with constant vigilance and avoidance of his allergic triggers, life happens so we have to be prepared with our own script:
- Have an Anaphylaxis Action Plan: Auggie will be the first to tell you about our plan that includes 1) avoiding his allergic triggers, 2) recognizing the signs and symptoms of anaphylaxis, 3) having access to two EpiPen Jr® Auto-Injectors, at all times and 4) seeking immediate emergency medical care should anaphylaxis occur.
- We Go Out – But We Plan Ahead: We, and Auggie, try as hard as we can to avoid exposure to his food allergens. When we’re heading out to a restaurant, we call ahead to make sure there will be options for him to eat; we also ask to speak to the chef once we arrive.
- Location, Location, Location: We always have access to two EpiPen Jr® Auto-Injectors at all times, including at home, in my bag and with him while filming.
How you can get involved:
Along with the other EpiPen® On Location™ Ambassadors, “Project Runway” judge and Marie Claire Creative Director Nina Garcia and Chef Amanda Freitag, we are really happy to be helping to educate others about the importance of always having a plan.
Through a series of videos, each of us is sharing our personal story and connection to severe allergies. We encourage you to watch and share the videos at EpiPenOnLocation.com for a chance to win a Walt Disney World® Resort vacation from Mylan to visit the Epcot® International Food & Wine Festival this fall.
As part of the prize, if the winners travel between October 2 and 4 they will have the opportunity to attend a meet and greet with me and Auggie, as well as Chef Amanda Freitag. Winners will also receive an exclusive travel kit from Nina Garcia.
To enter, share our videos up to three times per week.
- Be sure to add #OnLocationTips and #promo to your posts.
- The contest closes on July 9, 2015, so start sharing today!
- For the official sweepstakes rules, visit epipen.com/EOLTC.
Indications
EpiPen® (epinephrine injection) 0.3 mg and EpiPen Jr® (epinephrine injection) 0.15 mg Auto-Injectors are for the emergency treatment of life-threatening allergic reactions (anaphylaxis) caused by allergens, exercise, or unknown triggers; and for people who are at increased risk for these reactions. EpiPen® and EpiPen Jr® are intended for immediate administration as emergency supportive therapy only. Seek immediate emergency medical help right away.
Important Safety Information
EpiPen® and EpiPen Jr® Auto-Injectors contain a single dose of epinephrine, which you (or your caregiver or others who may be in a position to administer EpiPen® or EpiPen Jr®) inject into the middle of your outer thigh (upper leg) (through clothing, if necessary). Get emergency medical help right away. You may need further medical attention. Only a health care professional should give additional doses of epinephrine if you need more than two injections for a single anaphylactic episode. DO NOT INJECT INTO YOUR VEINS, BUTTOCKS, FINGERS, TOES, HANDS OR FEET. In case of accidental injection, please seek immediate medical treatment. Epinephrine should be used with caution if you have heart disease or are taking certain medicines that can cause heart-related (cardiac) symptoms.
Tell your doctor if you have certain medical conditions such as asthma, depression, thyroid disease, Parkinson’s disease, diabetes, high blood pressure or heart disease, have any other medical conditions, are pregnant or plan to become pregnant, or are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. Be sure to also tell your doctor all the medicines you take, especially medicines for asthma. If you have certain medical conditions, or take certain medicines, your condition may get worse or you may have longer lasting side effects when you use EpiPen® or EpiPen Jr®.
The most common side effects may include increase in heart rate, stronger or irregular heartbeat, sweating, nausea or vomiting, difficulty breathing, paleness, dizziness, weakness, shakiness, headache, apprehension, nervousness or anxiety. These side effects may go away if you rest. Tell your health care professional if you have any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away.
Please see the full Prescribing Information and Patient Information.
You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA.
Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088.
For additional information, please contact us at 800-395-3376.
All my best,
Maha Maturo
Auggie Maturo and his parents, Nina Garcia, and Amanda Freitag are paid spokespeople of Mylan.
Mylan is a financial sponsor of National NPA, and has been invited to submit a blog post as part of their engagement with PTA. National NPTA does not endorse any commercial entity, product, or service, and no endorsement is implied by this content.
EpiPen®, EpiPen Jr®, EpiPen 2-Pak® and EpiPen Jr 2-Pak® are registered trademarks of Mylan Inc. licensed exclusively to its wholly-owned subsidiary, Mylan Specialty L.P. ON LOCATION™ is a trademark of Mylan Inc. Walt Disney World® Resort and Epcot® International Food & Wine Festival are registered trademarks of Disney. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. © 2015 Mylan Specialty L.P. All rights reserved. EPI-2015-0467
