FARE Partners with “All Access with Andy Garcia” to Advance its Mission to Prevent, Manage and Cure Food Allergy

McLEAN, Va.—FARE (Food Allergy Research & Education) today announced the introduction of a new feature developed for the documentary short series, “All Access with Andy Garcia” that will be distributed to a national network of independent public television stations. The 5-minute documentary short called “Food Allergy: The Invisible Disease” highlights three families’ experiences living with food allergy, a serious disease of the immune system that continues to be widely misunderstood as a dietary preference or minor inconvenience despite its potential to cause life-threatening reactions.

The “All Access” piece features food allergy parent Kaye W. Cole, PhD, LPC, LCMHC, sharing the challenges and experiences keeping her daughter safe; food allergy parent Kim Hartman with her son Andy who is both a food allergy patient and an advocate; and David Jaffe, chairman of FARE’s Board of Directors and father of four children, all of whom were diagnosed with severe food allergy. Alongside FARE CEO Sung Poblete, PhD, RN, who is also a food allergy patient, these participants pull back the curtain on food allergy to show the hyper-vigilance that’s required to manage the disease.

The new spot is another way FARE is working to bridge gaps in public understanding to reach an audience that may not be familiar with the daily realities of life with food allergy, which affects more than 33 million people in the U.S. alone. The “All Access” piece also demonstrates though that scientific research can transform daily life for patients, spotlighting food allergy parent Kim Hartman and her son Andy speaking about their experience participating in a clinical trial that proved to be life-altering for their family.

Dr. Poblete said, “The Hartmans’ experience underscores that scientific research represents an opportunity to improve the quality of life and health for those living with food allergy, which is core to FARE’s mission.” In the piece, Dr. Poblete reminds viewers that charitable donations and financial support are the engine driving medical breakthroughs saying, “FARE’s DNA is all about collaboration. We’ve got scientists, we’ve got clinicians, we’ve got patients, and they’re all working together—all we need is funding.”

The piece goes on to describe a landmark research grant FARE has recently announced that will raise and distribute up to $10 million in research funding called the Mind Meld Team Grant Program, which Dr. Poblete describes as one of the most exciting research opportunities FARE has envisioned.

David Jaffe says, “We’re at a stage now where we can see the breakthroughs just around the corner. If we can make an impact, if we can take that next generation of kids and make them healthier and safer, that would be tremendous.”

Dr. Poblete concludes, “We are a voice for those with food allergy, and we fight for research dollars to fund the vital work that accelerates breakthroughs and keeps this community safe.” 

The “All Access with Andy Garcia” piece will begin airing this week on public television stations nationwide.

The film will also be distributed to the “All Access’” database of 1 million people and will air on Food Network, the Cooking Channel, and regional top Designated Marketing Areas to further broaden its reach. To view the documentary short visit us here and for more information about how to support the Mind Meld Team Grant Program initiative, visit us here.