Dr Hilary & Haydn's Wish Tour the UK to Raise Awareness of Allergy

LONDON, June 16, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --

• TV's Dr. Hilary Jones, and Emma Wileman from the charity Haydn's Wish, are touring the country to raise awareness of the potential dangers of undiscovered allergy 
• They were in Southampton last week and will be heading to Northampton, Dudley, Scunthorpe and Gateshead next 

TV's Dr. Hilary Jones and Emma Wileman, founder of the charity Haydn's Wish, have visited Redbridge Community School as part of their nationwide campaign 'Best To Test' to talk to children and staff about the potentially lethal links between asthma and allergies.

Emma's son, Haydn, tragically died, age 9, due to anaphylactic shock caused by the combination of asthma and an allergic reaction to peanuts.

"'Best To Test' is urging parents, particularly of children with asthma, to seek help for tiny changes in their child's symptoms, from patches of eczema to the onset of hay fever, that could indicate they are at risk of developing food allergies" said Dr. Hilary.

The cause of one death every eight hours and a hospital admission in England every eight minutes, asthma, suffered by 5.4 million in the UK alone, is a major health issue all on its own. However, while most of us will know someone who suffers from asthma, we're far more likely to be in the dark about food allergies, let alone the links between the two.  

Yet the reality is that if you have a food allergy, you are four times more likely to have asthma too.

Nicola Lancaster, from the University Hospital Southampton Children's Allergy Team, said, "As Haydn's story demonstrates, the links between asthma and allergy can be life-threatening, especially in children whose allergies may not yet have been discovered.

"It's great that Best To Test has come to Southampton and I hope it helps to raise awareness of the issue."

As well as talking to staff, Dr. Hilary also spoke to children about his job and some of the experiences he has had.

'Best To Test' will now be heading to Northampton, Dudley, Scunthorpe and Gateshead on its tour around the UK.

For more information on Haydn's Wish please visit http://www.haydns-wish.co.uk.

Haydn's Wish is a registered charity based in Sussex. Charity No 1148505.

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SOURCE Haydn's Wish