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Mighty Jax to the Rescue!

March 12, 2020  |  Action-Plan, Advocacy, Allergies, Allergy, Allergy-Awareness, Anaphylaxis, Anaphylaxis-Action-Plan, Awareness, Blog, Children, Education, Epinephrine, Family, Food-Allergies, Food-Allergy, Know-The-FAACTs, Support
Mighty

by Laurie Margolis

Dealing with food allergies is not easy. I know this firsthand. For the last 40 years, I have been severely allergic to peanut, tree nuts, coconut, shellfish, and soy. When I was a kid, there was not much food allergy awareness. It was just this odd thing that nobody else had. I felt very isolated, but I learned to manage. I had many reactions and hospital visits mostly due to cross-contact or lack of allergen notifications on food labels.

Having two sons, Jack and Max, with severe multiple food allergies has been difficult. Jack is allergic to milk, peanut, tree nuts, and egg, and Max is allergic to egg, fish, peanut, and tree nuts. I taught them early how to deal with their allergies and the importance of avoiding these allergens. However, I did not feel that just awareness was enough. I wanted to provide comfort for them, inspire them, empower them, but most of all, educate them in a relatable fashion. Jack once asked me (as we were watching television) why there were no characters on TV with food allergies – the idea was born. 

I sat down to write and did not stop until everything seemed perfect. I created a character named Jax (a combination of Jack and Max), who is allergic to peanut, egg, and milk. In the story, Mighty Jax and the Cookie Surprise, Jax has an allergic reaction when he lets his curiosity get the best of him on a playdate and takes a bite of his friend’s cookie. Knowing exactly what to do, Jax turns into Mighty Jax and takes his auto-injector and goes straight to the hospital. Jax teaches the importance of the Mighty Jax safety rules so that all kids can be a superhero just like him. After the book was complete and Mighty Jax’s character was born, I knew it was something special, and I wanted to see him come to life. He had to become something tangible. Something that kids could hold to seek comfort – something that would be relatable to them, and most of all, something to remind them to always carry two epinephrine auto-injectors.

In June 2018, I launched a Kickstarter campaign (video on our website) to raise money to produce the books and get the Mighty Jax dolls manufactured. We raised over $25,000 to bring Mighty Jax to life! I created the company Mightiest Me, and since then, we have been busy in Mighty Jax headquarters fulfilling orders and getting the book and doll set into the hands of kids with food allergies!

There have been many amazing things that have transgressed over the past few months, including being featured on NBC Chicago News in March 2020, which you can view on our website. However, I have to say, that receiving emails from parents around the world throughout this entire process has been the most rewarding feeling imaginable. I have made many new friends in the allergy community during this process – parents of children with food allergies, parents who have lost children due to food allergies, parents who like my mission and just want to help. It has become an inspiring little circle of support for me, and has made all my blood, sweat, and tears with this process absolutely worth it.

Mighty Jax comes with an emergency pack and two auto-injectors to provide education and comfort. Mighty Jax is cuddly, soft, and cute and makes a great buddy. His story is informative and relatable to all kids dealing with the challenges of food allergies in their everyday life. As a bonus, Mighty Jax can help educate children without food allergies.

I am so thankful for organizations like FAACT, which help parents and caregivers become better educated and informed on all aspects regarding food allergies. In fact (no pun intended), my mom, who had to go through this process blindly, wishes all these resources were available to her when I was growing up.

Thank you for giving Mighty Jax the opportunity to become a part of your children’s world. If he can help even just one child feel empowered, inspired, and educated, then my mission is worth it.

The Mighty Jax book and doll set can be purchased on our Facebook page: Mightiest Me or on our website at www.mightiestme.com.

To show our appreciation, all FAACT members will receive free shipping (March through May) with promo code: FAACT. Thank you!