Frank Dicopoulos
Actor Frank Dicopoulos knows firsthand about the seriousness of food allergies and the challenges of managing this condition on a daily basis – and he’s not the only one in his family with a food allergy. Dicopoulos, best known for his 22 years on the long-running soap opera Guiding Light, is allergic to shrimp. So are his wife, Teja Anderson, and his daughter, Olivia Dicopoulos.
“I had my first food allergy [reaction] on a date when I first met my wife,” he says, describing the symptoms that occurred after he ate some shrimp. “Years later, my wife and daughter had the same reaction to shrimp! It's terrifying watching a loved one going through [a] reaction.”
Now, the entire Dicopoulos family engages in safe food allergy practices, avoiding their allergens and carrying their medication wherever they go. Given his personal experience, Dicopoulos can relate to the anxiety that is shared by millions of Americans affected by food allergies. So he has channeled that energy into efforts to raise awareness, getting involved with FAAN’s Walk for Food Allergy event in Long Branch, N.J.
“I honestly believe educating and bringing awareness to the public of this epidemic is a strong start,” Dicopoulos said.
Dicopoulos firmly believes that his visibility provides him with an opportunity to get the message out about this potentially life-threatening medical condition because “this is a cause that has hit very close to home.”
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