Swansea City AFC Foundation Staff receive Epi Pen training
Swansea City AFC Foundation welcomed Rachel Williams to the Swansea.com Stadium to educate staff on the use of epi pens prior to the delivery of this February’s Soccer Camps.
Rachel found out her son, Jacob, had an allergy to peanuts when he was just three years old. An estimated 21.3 million adults (33%) in the UK suffer from at least one allergy with five to eight per cent of children having a food allergy.
Those affected can become seriously ill if they are exposed to the allergen. Many people affected by allergies carry with them epi pens, which are used in instances of anaphylaxis, a severe and potentially life-threatening allergic reaction.
When somebody experiences anaphylaxis their throat can swell, blocking their airways. Anaphylaxis usually develops suddenly and gets worse very quickly, with those affected feeling lightheaded or faint with a fast heartbeat. To counteract these symptoms a shot of Epinephrine is required and delivered through an epi-pen.
Due to the seriousness of anaphylaxis and the number of people living with allergies, all Foundation staff undertook online allergy awareness training through AllergyWise.org.uk. Following on from the training, Rachel met with staff to discuss her experiences as the mum of a young person with an allergy and provided some useful information for staff.
“I don’t usually leave Jacob with people who aren’t used to his epi pen as he has a peanut allergy, so I just want to make sure that people who look after him when I’m not there know what to do,” said Rachel.
“The epi pen goes everywhere with us, and if any child with an allergy suffered from anaphylaxis this is the medicine that could save their life.
“The camp was the first time taking him anywhere without a family member who is aware of how to use the epi pen, so it’s really important to me that the staff were aware of just how important this is.”
Staff were afforded the opportunity to ask Rachel about her experiences and practice administering the epi-pens using dummy pens.
Craig Richards, youth engagement manger, who overseas our soccer camps commented: “It’s really important that our team are fully aware of the dangers posed by anaphylaxis and are confident in administering the epi-pen should it be required.
"The training provided by AllergyWise was really informative and coupled with speaking to Rachel staff developed a greater understanding of what it’s like to live with an allergy and some of the things to look out for."
Swansea City AFC Foundation is grateful to Rachel for sharing her story. If you would like to learn more about anaphylaxis you can visit the AllergyWise website, https://www.anaphylaxis.org.uk/.
