Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

We are raising money for FPIES UK as they are trying to raise awareness of FPIES across the UK both within the general public and the health service such as GPs. 

It took us multiple hospital admissions and 13 months before we received Theo's diagnosis of FPIES. This was because the GPs and others within the medical profession had never heard of it, so didn't understand the reactions he was experiencing. We hope that by helping to raise funds for this charity we can stop others having to go through the heartache we did, and get a diagnosis much quicker. 

FPIES UK are organising a Fifteen for Frankie challenge. I am not a runner at all (or sporty!) but this cause means so much to us that Theo and I are determined to complete the challenge by running (and Theo will be scooting) 15 miles during September. 

We would appreciate any donations, but more importantly we want to raise awareness of FPIES. 

What is FPIES? 

FPIES stands for Food Protein Induced Enterocolitis Syndrome. FPIES is a delayed (non IgE mediated) food allergy which leads to repeated vomiting and other gastrointestinal symptoms 1-6 hours after a problem food (or formula) is eaten. This can lead to life-threatening complications as a result of dehydration.

The most common symptom is vomiting. The vomiting seen with FPIES reactions is usually quite dramatic, with babies typically vomiting multiple times. Lethargy is commonly seen but in milder cases may be mistaken for 'just sleeping it off'. In more severe cases the child may appear to be 'passed out' or non responsive. Other symptoms which may be seen in some children include pale grey or blue appearance, diarrhoea and abdominal pain. The most common foods that cause FPIES are cow’s milk, soya, rice and grains like oat and barley. 

Diagnosis of FPIES can be a challenge as this disorder is often mistaken for a bacterial infection (sepsis) or gastrointestinal viral illness. It is so rare that most healthcare professionals have never heard of it. There are no blood or skin tests that can confirm a diagnosis of FPIES and the diagnosis is made on the history of reactions and symptoms. Diagnosis can often be very long, causing needless suffering and stress for both parent and child. Alongside this, the only way to know if a child has outgrown their FPIES reactions is to trial the food again. Most children outgrow FPIES by the age of 7, but not all. 

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