Twelve-year-old Brett Nasuti's multiple severe food allergies have brought him unexpected fame in recent months. He is the first person to successfully complete a treatment that appears to have eliminated the threat of dangerous reactions that he and his family have lived with almost all of his life.

Brett and his mother Robyn Nasuti of Upton will speak about their experiences on Wednesday, April 14 at 7:00 PM at the Metro-West Allergy and Asthma Educational Support Group which meets at Allergy & Asthma Treatment Specialists, 475 Franklin St., Framingham. The program is free; pre-registration is not required.

Brett participated in a study at Children's Hospital Boston that used a combination of medication and "oral immunotherapy", to desensitize children with milk allergy.   He has recently achieved his dream of sharing a pizza and ice cream with his friends. This is not an experiment to try at home. At each research session Brett was hooked up to an IV line and closely monitored by hospital staff.

"Brett was diagnosed with 15 food allergies before his first birthday," said Robyn Nasuti, a member of the Board of Directors of the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, New England Chapter, which is sponsoring the meeting. "An added benefit of being part of this study is that Brett's asthma has improved a lot", she said, "and I’m hopeful that he is part of finding a cure so that someday Brett’s younger brother and other kids will be able to live without food allergies".
Allergist Stuart Rhein, MD, is the group's Medical Advisor, and will be on hand to answer questions about managing food allergies.

AAFA New England organizes educational support group programs throughout the region, publishes a newsletter, and runs a telephone resource and information line for people coping with allergies and asthma.

For more information, or a free copy of the AAFA New England newsletter or parent checklist for managing food allergies in school, call (781)444-7778 or visit: www.asthmaandallergies.org