Today is CALL TO ACTION - emailing Sesame Street
Today's topic is: How would you like to raise awareness of tube feeding?
I'll start with my part....It's easy - just simply talking to people about tube feeding helps raise awareness. Me talking to people, leads to more people talking and more people becoming aware of feeding tubes. Sharing Allie's story is a great way to spread awareness. Of course keeping Allie's blog updated is a great way for me to share our life's story with a tube fed child but it also reaches beyond that. This blog helps raise awareness (especially this week) and I have seen first hand how it has help people understand feeding tubes and what it's like to live with a child who is tube fed. I am proud to keep this blog updated and if it helps just 1 person better understand feeding tubes, then I consider it a success.
Due to Allie's severe corn allergy and gluten sensitivity and the fact that she has a feeding tube, I was asked to be a guest blogger for "Food Allergy Living". You can check out my guest blog right here:
http://www.foodallergyliving.net/nutrition-specialist-column/food-allergy-awareness/feeding-tube-awareness-week-allies-story/
Being a guest blogger is another way that I am helping to spread positive awareness!!!
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Now, on to the second part. This is where I need your help. With Feeding Tube Awareness Week in full swing, it is time once again to contact Sesame Street. They have so far refused our efforts to get a tube fed child on the show. They do not understand enough about tube feeding to see how it might fit into the show. So, we need to explain to them just how they can do it. We are getting close, but we still need to fight for the cause!
Sometime today, I am asking you to please write a letter to Sesame Street and send it to them through the following link: Make sure to mark "food" as your category.
http://www.sesameworkshop.org/inside/contact
To make it easy we have provided a letter below that you can copy and send to Sesame Street. I promise this will not take more than a minute and you will be making many tubie kids very happy (and their parents). So, what do you say......can you please help us today and contact Sesame Street. After all, ALL CHILDREN SHOULD FEEL LIKE THEY BELONG ON SESAME STREET! Thank you.
Sample letter for Sesame Street:
There are tens of thousands of tube fed children in the US. While Sesame Street has done so much for diversity, there has never been a tube fed child featured. Tube feeding is merely another way for children to eat when they are medically unable to eat enough to thrive & grow. Sesame Street has explained trachs as helping Christopher Reeve breathe.
Children are tube fed for myriad reasons, but one of the simplest for children to understand is food allergy/intolerance's. Some children are tube fed while they discover which foods are safe for them to eat. It can be done in such a way that explains that there are some children who can’t eat like there are some children who can’t hear, or walk or see. Tube fed children deserve to be on Sesame Street, too.
To date, we have more than 4200 people who have supported the cause ‘Let’s Get a Tube Fed Child on Sesame Street!’ on causes.com, with more joining each day. All children should feel like they belong on Sesame Street.
When sending your letter to Sesame Street today or talking about feeding tubes with your friends, please remember that you are helping little Allie feel more accepted by her peers! Just because she eats differently than most people does not mean that she is weird or freakish - remember this is just a new form of normal!
If you have time, let me know that you have supported us by sending a letter to Sesame Street!!! Thank you - the Berndt's
sent the letter to Sesame Street!
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