Lynda Mitchell | Episode 157

Lynda Mitchell, a food allergy mom and long time leader in the allergy and asthma community, is the Interim CEO at Allergy & Asthma Network. Lynda bravely opens up about her experiences becoming a mother to a child with food allergies, offering insight into the challenges it presented 30 years ago when her son was born. She was a protective mother, determined to provide her son with the best possible care. Undeterred by a lack of available information about his condition, she even hired sitters so she could search the hospital library for information, showing extraordinary effort and dedication. She learned to be an empowered patient advocate through her son’s experience that led her to form the first online community for families raising children with food allergies in 2005. After more than 15 years, she left that role but remains active in the food allergy community as Interim CEO at Allergy & Asthma Network. Lynda shares about the initiatives at the Network related to outreach, education, advocacy and research. She and Shandee dig into Southwest Airlines’ vacillating procedures regarding pre-boarding for those with peanut allergies and offers advice to parents of young children in preparing children with the skills for self-management and self-advocacy.