OctoberFARE 2025
I am back from another fantastic weekend at the FARE summit in Washington, D.C.! This year, the summit was over Halloween weekend (hence the OctoberFARE name) and attendees were encouraged to dress up for the trick-or-treating social Friday evening. My family decided to dress up as alpha-gal-friendly foods (see above picture). I was a pickle. And we were in quite a pickle trying to fit all of our costumes in our camper.
We camped just outside of D.C. in an R.V. park and took Ubers into town each day. I would like to note an important point about Uber: many Uber drivers have air fresheners in their cars. While this is understandable due to the number of people who ride with them each day, it poses an issue for those of us with AGS. Many air fresheners contain mammalian products, and if you are fume-reactant (like my mom and me), this may be problematic. I, for some reason, am not overly sensitive to air fresheners, but my mom is. Open windows and masks, though, made the rides bearable for her.
When we arrived the first day, they were just setting up the Teen Advisory Group posters. I led a project this year to distribute bags filled with products and resources for alpha-gal patients to the clinics where we are being diagnosed and receiving our care. Here is a link to the poster, which contains a bunch more information, as well as information on how to get involved if you are a medical provider, nonprofit, business, or a volunteer: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1d-tFR8pPdMLRpZE6dDwM7JVIuHZfrTUh/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=116266790173526527089&rtpof=true&sd=true
After checking out my poster and taking some pictures, we decided to eat dinner out rather than at the conference buffet (where they were serving steak) and revisited a D.C. favorite: Planta Queen. My mom, brother, and I had all enjoyed Planta multiple times, but this was my dad and sister’s first time, and it lived up to their expectations. Planta is one of my favorite vegan restaurants in the world (with locations in many major cities, including Chicago), so it is always a treat when we get to eat there. The Bang Bang Broccoli is a must-try. Another favorite restaurant of mine in the capital is D.C. Vegan. Debbie and Candice tell a funny story of the time that they were just planning on getting dessert there (after eating dinner at Planta) and ended up ordering an entire main course after seeing the food served to other patrons. After trying their lasagna (the only truly delicious vegan lasagna I have ever found), I can completely understand their decision!
The next morning, we arrived just in time for the opening remarks by FARE staff and the keynote talk by Dr. Zachary Rubin, arguably the most famous allergist in the world. He is known for his humorous, personable social media content, which is nonetheless some of the most educational. He has made some fantastic videos on AGS, including this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bup_bsE0I0c.
Later that day, we attended a talk about AGS, given by Dr. Collette Tilly, a fellow from UNC who works with Dr. Scott Commins, one of the most knowledgeable doctors on the subject of AGS. She was fantastic and presented on some of the fascinating science behind this allergy, as well as ways to manage it and upcoming research on tools to help manage and slow the spread of AGS. It was great to see alpha-gal represented at FARE, and it was done so well.
I also attended a talk about the transition to college, where I learned some great tips on living your best college life with food allergy, from the dining hall to your dorm, to labs. If you are a college student or a high school student looking ahead towards college, check out my post titled “The college search.” It has some great resources to help you find accommodating schools, questions to ask the disability office and dietician, and general tips on managing AGS as you set out on your own.
We were now well into the afternoon, and it was time for the poster session! I had the privilege of speaking with some of the world’s top doctors, researchers, and food allergy advocates about my project, but more importantly, about AGS. While most people had heard of the allergy, many were eager to expand their knowledge, and I was thrilled to share what I knew with them. Some people had never heard of AGS, and I jumped at the opportunity to introduce them to this allergy. Education is very important to me, especially in spaces like these where AGS is often underrepresented.
I feel that each year I have attended the FARE summit, I have returned home reenergized and invigorated to continue the hard work that must be done in the food allergy community. Interacting with others who are leaders in food allergy advocacy not only educates me about how best to make change, but it also refuels me for the next year of work with AGS. It is truly remarkable how much passion one organization can hold, and I hope to continue harnessing those resources to tackle issues that the food allergy community faces, but more specifically, those faced by the AGS community. If you are ever feeling hopeless about the world or your diagnosis, check out what the folks at FARE and other organizations, like Two Alpha Gals and the Alpha-gal Alliance Action Fund, are doing to change the world of food allergy.