2 peanuts per day keeps allergies away for Botetourt County teenager

BOTETOURT COUNTY, Va. – Thirteen million people nationwide suffer from food allergies, but a new, cutting edge treatment is changing the lives of many people affected by peanut allergies.

Just 2 grams make up 15-year-old Abigail Newman's daily dose of peanuts. At 18 months, Abigail was diagnosed with a severe peanut allergy. For years, her and her family's life was limited by a food that could kill her. Then came oral immunotherapy treatment, or OIT,  and everything changed. 

"I really like the freedom of it. Eating anywhere, going anywhere, doing more things," said Abigail. 

We visited with the Newman family last year during the treatment. For 10 months, Abigail ventured back and forth from Chapel Hill, North Carolina. She started ingesting small doses of peanuts -- first liquid, then powder, then actual peanuts. The treatment ended last spring, and now, Abigail can eat cross-contaminated foods. She can freely visit restaurants and not read every food label word for word. It's a victory for the whole Newman family.

"I can let her go to friends' houses, I can let her go out to eat. I just don't have that fear, the fear is gone," said Shannon Newman, Abigail's mom. 

But the decision to do oral immunotherapy wasn't just about changing Abigail's life. It was about Abigail being able to change the lives of others. 

"We were able to go to the Bahamas on her first mission trip, which is the whole reason she wanted to do this therapy," said Shannon. 

This summer, Abigail was able to serve deaf children in the Bahamas without being limited by a life-threatening allergy. It's one of many firsts Abigail has had since she finished OIT. She still carries an Epipen, and of course, she has those daily doses of peanuts. But it's a small price to pay in peanuts for a life with more freedom and less fear.

We have some exciting news for any peanut allergy sufferers in the Roanoke area. The Asthma and Allergy Center is the first practice in southwest Virginia to offer oral immunotherapy to help those suffering from peanut allergies. To visit the center's website, click here. 
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