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Manukau Courier : May 18th 2012
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www.aucklandnow.co.nz Friday, May 18, 2012 Normally $900 $499 plus GST Professionally produced video connected in print & online Locally Full video production -- scripting, filming, editing Acopyonyourwebsite AcopyonDVD AcopyonYouTube Contact your Manukau Courier representative for a demo: Phone 09 272 7017 www.manukaucourier.co.nz Spread the word By STEPHANIE FAWCETT Best mates, above: Sir Peter Leitch and his grandson Reuben Judson-Leitch, 8, are ready to raise money for Allergy Awareness Week. Photo: SHANE WENZLICK Sirs have it, right: Sir Peter and Sir Graham Henry with the jar of Marmite that will be auctioned on TradeMe. THEY RE calling it black gold and Sir Peter Leitch is hoping a jar of it will help make a difference for allergy sufferers and their families. Sir Peter, also known as The Mad Butcher, is auc- tioning off a jar of Marmite signed by former All Blacks coach Sir Graham Henry who fronts an advertising cam- paign for the product. The successful bidder will also get a certificate of auth- entication signed by both knights. Marmite has been in short supply here and in Australia since an earthquake damaged the Christchurch-based Sani- tarium manufacturing plant in February 2011. Production is not expected to restart until mid-year. Sir Peter hopes the TradeMe auction will help raise money and awareness for Allergy New Zealand dur- ing Allergy Awareness Week. We bought the Marmite for $2300 at a fundraiser for diabetes and on the way home thought why don t we auction it off for Allergy New Zealand? Sir Peter says. He is patron of Allergy New Zealand and became involved because his grandson Reuben Judson-Leitch has severe food allergies. It s about raising aware- ness and letting people know that if they or their children have allergies they should be contacting the organisation or getting along to see Dr Vincent Crump at the Auck- land Allergy Clinic, Sir Peter says. People need to remember that they can die from allergies. For example, if someone has a bad reaction that Epi- Pen can be really vital, he says. We want to lift awareness and get people to take it seriously. Reuben s mother Angela Leitch says her son was officially diagnosed at 8 months old. He has life-threatening allergies to eggs and peanuts and he s also allergic to grass, dogs and dust mites, she says. When he was younger he was also allergic to dairy and soy but he outgrew that at about 5 or 6 which made life a little bit easier. Eight-year-old Reuben has to carry a kit with him which includes his EpiPen, antihi- stamines and steroid creams in case of a reaction. But Angela says managing his allergies can be frustrat- ing for him. At kindy it was really good, it was a peanut-free zone, but school s a bigger environment and you can t really do that so he practises avoidance, she says. As he gets older he gets frustrated that he has to take his own food when he goes to birthday parties when he d like to be able to have a piece of birthday cake. Sometimes people don t take food allergies seriously and they think, Oh, he ll just get a rash or something but that s not the case if it s ana- phylaxis. If you ate peanuts and then touched Reuben there s a good chance his breathing would have stopped by the time the ambulance got here if he didn t have his EpiPen. It can happen in minutes. Allergy Awareness Week runs from May 20 to 26. Visit allergy.org.nz for more information on allergies and managing them. Go online to TradeMe and search for Great Marmite Famine to place your bid. Reaction not to be sniffed at Allergies are common and affect about one in three New Zealanders at some time in their lives with symptoms ranging from very mild to life- threatening Eggs, cow's milk (dairy) and peanuts are the top three allergens in New Zealand, followed by tree nuts (eg, cashews, almonds), soy, wheat, seeds, fish and shellfish The symptoms of allergic reactions can include hives, eczema and facial swelling, hay fever symptoms, swelling of the throat, cough, wheezing, difficulty breathing, nausea, vomiting, stomach pains and diarrhoea, feeling faint, weakness, pallor, floppiness (particularly in infants) or collapse Anaphylaxis is the most severe form of allergic reaction and must be treated with adrenaline. This is most commonly administered using an EpiPen or Anapen auto-injector device Even traces of an allergen in a food or on a serving spoon can cause a severe allergic reaction in some people.
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