15-year-old Abigail McCourt tells Arizona lawmaker that schools need to be better prepared
WASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords today was urged by a Catalina Foothills High School student to support legislation that will establish voluntary national guidelines to help schools manage the risk to students affected by food allergies.
Abigail McCourt met with Giffords today as part of a national effort organized by the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network, a non-profit organization with nearly 30,000 members worldwide. McCourt, who lives with her parents in Giffords’ 8th Congressional District, urged the Arizona lawmaker to support the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Management Act.
“Most schools don’t realize how severe allergies can be and how hard they are to deal with,” said the 15-year-old student. “If schools know about this, they could prepare for it, instead of just winging it.”
After the meeting, Giffords told Abigail she would not only support the bill when it comes before the House, but would sign on as a co-sponsor.
“Abigail made a very persuasive case,” Giffords said. “She is one of more than 2 million students across the nation with food allergies. They are the human face of a serious and growing problem that needs to be addressed.”
The Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Management Act passed the House last year in a voice vote but was not taken up by the Senate. The House is expected to vote on it again soon.
The bill requires the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services to develop and make available to schools voluntary guidelines to manage the risk of food allergies and anaphylaxis, a life-threatening type of allergic reaction. It also provides for school-based food allergy management incentive grants to support the implementation of food allergy guidelines in schools.
Abigail, who is allergic to fish, shellfish, peanuts and tree nuts such as almonds and cashews, is among about 80 students from across the country who traveled to Washington to urge lawmakers to support the bill. She was accompanied by her parents, Mark and Carol McCourt.
“We are very proud of her,” Carol McCourt said. “She wanted her voice to be heard. This is something good coming out of something bad.”
Carol added that the trip to the Capitol was “a treat” for the entire family. “None of us have met a member of Congress before,” she said.