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As parents of a young child with multiple severe food allergies,
we feel very fortunate that our child is a patient of Dr. Marc
McMorris and Dr. Andrew Singer. At the University of Michigan Allergy
and Immunology Clinic we knew we were in the hands of two excellent
practitioners who specialize in food allergies. Their level of
commitment to this patient population is evident in everything
they do, from up-to-date understanding of the latest research and
diagnostic testing, to comprehensive patient/parent education.
Food challenges are conducted in the safest possible setting, steps
away from a fully equipped emergency room. Another invaluable service
is access to a patient educator, Anne Russell, who gave a community
wide presentation to area educators on the challenges of safely
accommodating food-induced anaphylactic children in the school/learning
environment.
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I have a son who will be 5 in March, he was diagnosed at the age
of 8 mos. with severe food allergies to peanuts, eggs, milk and soy.
Dr. Marc McMorris has shown compassion and concern for our son as
well as
for our family. He has gone above and beyond the call of duty with
all of his volunteer work. He was the Medical Director for F.A.E.
(food anaphylaxis education) and he spent many hours of his personnel
time talking to communities and families regarding food allergies.
F.A.E. came out to our small community and educated the entire staff
at the elementary school on how to use Epipens as well as how to
respond to an anaphylactic emergency Dr. McMorris is also extremely
proactive with legislation regarding safety for children with food
allergies and helping to pass a bill for all Ambulances to carry
Epi-pens and be trained in their use. I thank God for the dedication
and compassion exhibited by Dr. McMorris.
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As a school nurse in a Michigan public school district,
I have
had the opportunity to work with many food allergic / anaphylactic
children and their families over the last 10 years. During that
time, I have been provided invaluable help from Anne Russell. Her
knowledge and expertise in this area is incomparable. She is a
tremendous resource in answering questions, setting up protocols
and
programs, and finding educative resources for students, staff and
parents.
In addition, she and Dr McMorris have provided many helpful inservices
and forums in the area, that I, various staff members,
and
district families have attended. The focus of these inservices has
varied depending on the place and format (i.e., been focused toward
school staff, patients and families and /or communities at large)
but
all have been informative and helpful.
In our own district Anne and Dr. Mc Morris provided an excellent
Community Forum on food anaphylaxis and allergies in October of 2003
to help educate our community at large on this important topic. It
was an excellent presentation and well received. Their knowledge,
expertise and caring in this area is beyond compare. Our district
has truly benefited from their help and support.
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My 13- year-old son has been dealing with asthma for most of
his life. Recently, my son was diagnosed with peanut and tree nut
allergies. Thankfully, we found Dr. Marc McMorris and Anne Russell,
RN at the
University of Michigan Food Allergy clinic. Dr. McMorris' care and
dedication to his patients in treating asthma and food allergies
is evident in every appointment my son has had at UM. By attending
the food allergy seminars and talking with Anne, nurse educator,
our family learned how to deal with the day to day difficulties of
a food allergy at home and at school. I am very grateful for their
support in our son's medical care and on-going food allergy education.
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I can’t imagine a better team than that which includes Anne
Russell, Dr. Marc McMorris and Dr. Andrew Singer. Their combined
knowledge of food allergies, the impact of the diagnosis on families
and schools, and research in the field of food allergies is immeasurable.
They have all provided immense support, encouragement and knowledge
to school nurses, families and to the general public. These three
highly motivated, compassionate individuals have generously shared
their time and knowledge with school nurses and school districts
in Michigan. It is largely through their efforts that school accommodations
for the food allergic students in Michigan have been so successful.
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My son who is 8 years old was diagnosed a year and a half ago
with an allergy to tree nuts. As a parent realizing that if by mistake
one bite of a nut could put your child in a life-threatening situation
it is so nice to have a doctor that you can trust and depend on and
we are lucky to have my son under the care of Dr. Andrew Singer.
Dr. Singer is a kind, caring and compassionate doctor who continues
to
demonstrate his concerns for our son's well being and that is something
you definitely want a doctor to show towards your child. I have no
hesitation in contacting Dr. Singer should I have any questions or
concerns regarding my son's allergies. If you ask my son why he likes
Dr. Singer he'll tell you that "he cares about me and he is
pretty cool!"
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We are greatly indebted to Dr. Sanders, Dr. McMorris, Anne Russell,
RN,
and others at U of M who have helped guide us through
the challenges faced when having a child with a peanut allergy.
Through educational seminars, literature, and school visits, they
have
educated us, our daycare provider, and school staff on the severity
of the allergy, its management, and the need to always carry epinephrine.
The
knowledge gained from the U of M Food Allergy Group was
instrumental in saving our 5 year old son's life in April of 2003,
as
my husband and I were able to recognize the signs and/or symptons
of
anaphylaxis and timely administer epinephrine.
We are also gratelful
for
the group's successful efforts at getting legislation passed in
Michigan of last year, which requires EMS units to carry epinephrine
and be
trained in its adminstration. Finally, we are especially thankful
for
the dedication, concern, and commitment of the U of M doctors and
nurses
who unselfishly volunteer their time to educate the public so as
to keep
our loved ones safe.
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We
first heard Dr. McMorris give a talk on children's food allergies
when
our daughter, was eighteen months old and we were just
discovering> how severe her allergies to dairy, egg, and peanut
were. It was clear who
we wanted her allergist to be. Dr. McMorris is very knowledgable
and
compassionate. He is devoted to giving his patients and their families
the
most up to date medical care, as well as, continually addressing
the wide
scope of challenges living with food allergies entails.
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