FARE Leadership Spotlight - October 2021

• What's your name, where are you from, and what is your food allergy connection?

My name is Daniel Kadden and I am from Great Neck, New York. I was born with anaphylactic allergies to sesame seeds, tree nuts and coconuts. I am the first and only member of my family with any food allergies.

• What drew you to FARE? Why do you support FARE?

FARE has been a resource to my family since I was young. After a severe allergic reaction when I was attending the University of Michigan, I became involved with a food allergy research center at the university. When I graduated, I was introduced to members of FARE and was instantly excited to continue my involvement with food allergy research and advocacy as a young professional. FARE is an incredible organization because of the breadth of services they offer. They are involved in funding research, advocacy on Capitol Hill, and resources for those affected by food allergies Because of how much they do, it was easy to find areas that were important to me.

• When you think of FARE, what first comes to mind?

Support – I feel that FARE is an organization whose DNA is focused on helping the community. Every decision is made to move the ball forward on assisting the food allergic community.

• What is one thing you would tell any food-allergic person or parent/guardian of a food-allergic person?

Food allergies are among the few life-threatening medical conditions that are in your control. Lean into that quality. There are steps that we all can take to minimize the risks we face as we look to live normal lives and explore the world. Embrace that with effective planning and proper resources, there are very few things we cannot do.

• What is the best food allergy advice you ever received?

Trust all your senses. Look at food. Smell your food. Trust your gut. Your body can send you messages when something doesn’t feel right, and you should always err on the side of caution.

• What is your favorite hobby or pastime?

I like reading American history books.

• What was the trick-or-treating experience like for you as a child with food allergies and how has this impacted how you manage Halloween as an adult?

My favorite part about trick-or-treating when I was younger was trading with my friends all the candy I was allergic to for candy I loved. I didn’t consider the candy I was allergic to as part of the larger pot, so when I was able to trade it for other candy, I always felt like I was getting extra candy. I live in New York City so I am not giving anything out to trick-or-treaters, but when I eventually do, I will stick to more basic candies that limit the amount of the Top 9 allergens in them.