WHAT IS AN ADVOCATE?

Advocate. If you look up the definition of this word you will find many different descriptions such as: A person who supports a cause and exercises his/her right to be heard, or to speak, write, or otherwise support a cause by argument. At the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA), when we hear the word Advocate, we think of the mother and father who speak out to the public on behalf of their elderly parent or young child; the person who writes letters to the editor urging the U.S. to support less expensive, but effective medication; the neighbor down the street who calls his/her local Representatives to support the strengthening of food allergen labeling; and the college students who hold bake sales to raise money for asthma and allergy research. In fact, there are so many different forms of Advocacy that happen every day, we felt it necessary to highlight on our Web site, ways “AAFAcates” make a difference in their communities every day. If you or someone you know has a story to share, please let us know so you can inspire others as you continue to inspire AAFA! 

Another simple way to be an AAFAcate is to contact your local and state representatives and urge them to pass important pieces of legislation that AAFA supports in an effort to help asthma and allergy patients lead a life without limits. By clicking here: http://www.gpoaccess.gov/cdirectory/index.html, you can type in your State or County and have access to the phone numbers and addresses of your representatives!

FEATURED AAFACATE!

Jacob Goldfeld is a perfect example of what is it to be an AAFAcate. Hailing from Phoenix, Arizona this 10-year-old not only started a service project called “Bear Hugs,” but he got his friends and community involved. Jacob set his goal to raise asthma awareness and money to purchase 100 teddy bears for children at the Phoenix Children's Hospital, which sees nearly 3,000 children every year who have asthma. “Being in the hospital can be a frightening experience for a person of any age, but especially for young children,” said Jacob. “A stuffed animal can bring great comfort in this situation. Children with asthma often do not have stuffed animals because of health concerns associated with these toys.”

Jacob, being an AAFAcate, specifically chose to donate Certified asthma & allergy friendly™ bears from Build-A-Bear Workshop because they can be maintained in a reduced allergen state by following the custom care instructions provided with each bear. Jacob and his friends surpassed the goals they set and raised enough money to purchase more than 200 bears, and because AAFA was so impressed with Jacob’s efforts, we sent an additional 125 bears. Now over 325 children who are hospitalized for asthma and related allergies will have a special Certified asthma & allergy friendly™ bear to comfort them during their stay.

Thanks Jacob for doing your part to spread asthma and allergy awareness throughout your community, and for bringing happiness, teddy bears, inspiration and comfort to asthmatic children in hospitals.