While most kids would think nothing of getting a hot dog at a baseball game at Yankee Stadium, for 约翰·扎， 选择并不那么容易. 露西娅扎, 25岁 recalls walking around the stadium with 她的哥哥 and cousin last year and checking with vendors to see which foods would be safe — nut-free and not cross-contaminated — for 她的哥哥 to eat. Only one vendor would weakly assure her that their food was safe. Would there be an EpiPen available if 约翰 had a bad reaction to the food?

与严重过敏(生与死)生活的现实

EpiPen is the brand name of an auto-injectable device that delivers the drug epinephrine, a life-saving medication used when someone is experiencing a severe allergic reaction, 被称为过敏反应(发音为“an-a-fi-lax-is”), an allergy emergency that can cause death in less than 15 minutes.

The reason 露西娅扎 was so concerned was because at the age of nine she had witnessed her younger brother, 然后五, 有危及生命的过敏反应. 在被蜱虫咬了之后, 约翰, 谁已经有严重的坚果过敏, 得了阿尔法半乳糖综合症，对红肉过敏. As a result, 约翰 had a severe and potentially lethal reaction to eating a piece of steak. 他母亲的迅速行动， 南希·扎伦巴P‘24, ‘25, ‘29用肾上腺素注射器救了约翰.

“约翰’s food allergies have changed our family’s daily living,” 说 南希·扎. She explained, “约翰 is allergic to peanuts, tree nuts, sesame seeds, and legumes. Nuts and sesame seeds are the tricky ingredients for 约翰 when scouting out foods like hot dogs at Yankee Stadium. You wouldn’t believe how many bread products  have sesame seeds in their ingredients and nut cross contamination.”

“Everything we do is in the interest of keeping 约翰 safe,” 南希·扎 说. “We can only eat or order out from certain restaurants and even that is not so simple. We have to read food labels on everything we buy in the grocery store. Something as simple as going to the movie theater or a birthday party can be challenging for 约翰. It’s difficult some days because he just wants to be ‘normal’ and not have to worry about what he is eating. Ever since he had an anaphylactic reaction to something we didn’t know he was allergic to, 我们仍然感谢手头有一支肾上腺素笔, 但也要知道，不是每个人都在同一条船上.”

露西亚向纽约立法者提出在公共场所使用肾上腺素的情况

The terrifying emergency traumatized the Zaremba family, Lucia 说. Her mom taught her how to use an EpiPen in case of another emergency.  对露西娅, it seemed like “common sense” that there should be EpiPens located in all large public venues the way we see AED (Automated External Defibrillator) boxes posted. 这就是为什么当她有机会与 州参议员安德鲁·古纳德斯(D) 22区 在这个问题上，她能找到解决问题的办法.  Lucia has been working with 参议员Gounardes on ideas for legislation to be proposed when the new New York State Senate session begins in January.  Lucia says the bill would cover large public venues such as schools, 购物中心, 体育场馆, 和餐馆. 她说，这样的法律一旦颁布，“将挽救人们的生命”.

“当露西娅告诉我她家人的故事时，” 参议员Gounardes 说. “听到她的恐惧，我很伤心, 她的哥哥, and her parents had all experienced when 她的哥哥’s anaphylactic reactions had occurred. And the solution she proposed — ensuring EpiPens are accessible to New Yorkers across the state in public venues — made absolute sense to me. After our conversation, I began the process of writing this bill.”

“The legislative process is a collaborative one,” 参议员Gounardes continued. “where I’ll work with my colleagues to help them understand the need for this bill to become law. I know many legislators — and families — across the state already have a deep knowledge of the dangers of anaphylaxis, and I am confident that my colleagues and I can work to get this life-saving bill passed.”

Lucia 说 she hopes that the proposed legislation will get more recognition and support. 她说，新闻媒体是其中很重要的一部分. 这就是为什么她乐于接受采访以传播信息的原因. She may even travel to Albany at some point to speak in support of the bill.

“I wish everyone knew how scary it is to have life-threatening allergies. 我可能不会表现出来, but I’m always afraid every time I have a meal…”

约翰·扎

“I think it’s really cool that my sister, Lucia, is doing this to help kids like me with allergies,” 约翰·扎 说. “When Lucia told me she was reaching out to 参议员Gounardes to change the law, 我简直不敢相信. 我认为这是个好主意, and it’s really great that the Senator is interested in helping people with allergies.” He added, “I wish everyone knew how scary it is to have life-threatening allergies. 我可能不会表现出来, but I’m always afraid every time I have a meal I could 有危及生命的过敏反应, 甚至去竞技场, 我很害怕我能吃什么，不能吃什么.”

Poly的EpiPens

约翰继续带着肾上腺素注射器去学校. 保利护士 莎拉银 说, “在很大程度上, 我们的学生携带他们的肾上腺素, 但我的办公室里也有学生用的肾上腺素注射器. 我也有库存以备不时之需. There are no central locations on campus to access EpiPens aside from my office and the trainers office down the hall. I love the idea of having EpiPens in designated areas around campus — especially since the nurse’s office is far from the students.”

露西亚，一个十年级的学生，在 多边形 and enjoys public speaking, says the experience of working with 参议员Gounardes has been inspiring.

“Our entire family is beyond proud of Lucia,” 南希·扎 说. “We are so proud of Lucia for wanting to make a change for not only 她的哥哥, 而是为了纽约的每一个人, 尤其是那些没有意识到自己过敏的人. Stocking EpiPens in all places of public assembly along with someone who knows how to use it is life changing. She has taken a terrible moment in her life and is trying to turn it into something positive. She is a really good sister and we couldn’t be prouder as her parents.”