Ha! I’m pulling back the curtain the great Oz once and for all! When you visit AsthmaAllergiesChildren.com, unless you dig deep and to the bottom of the About page, you’ll never now know who is the master mind behind this utterly brilliant website. Please note that I was not paid to say nice things or was even remotely bribed with chocolate to write this post. At last, it is time for the world to meet Henry Ehrlich, one of the few fair male bloggers in our food allergy and asthma world, who also rubs elbows (Mostly via the Internet) with some of the most respected and ground breaking food allergy researchers in the nation! Secret: he is about to blow our minds with some incredible food allergy research and what it means to us very soon-so stay tuned.
photo courtesy of Henry Ehrlich
A professional writer, Henry’s involvement began when he collaborated with two pediatric allergists on a book. One was his cousin, Dr. Paul Ehrlich, who is perennially named the top pediatric allergist in private practice in New York City and Dr. Lawrence Chiaramonte, who has had a brilliant career in research as well as practice. The book eventually went out of print, so the three of them revised it and reissued it as Asthma Allergies Children: a parent’s guide, and since, as the authors say, “medicine moves faster than print” they launched the website, too. Both “Dr. Larry” and “Dr. Paul” have their own blogs, and Henry has his “Editor’s Notes.” There are also regular updates on research and news across the broad range of allergic diseases.
Asthma Allergies Children: a parent’s guide
Check out Selena’s review of Asthma Allergies Children: a parent’s guide
But what really sets this website apart are the guest editorials by some of my favorite authors. I can pop over and find some of the latest pressing issues and research translated into very simple common terms that I can understand. In addition, most of the articles also guide me towards having enough knowledge about a topic in my pocket that I can have a valuable and directed conversation with my allergist. Loving to research topics, the links and footnotes at the end of many of the articles allow me to follow up in greater details if needed.
image courtesy of Stuart Miles via www.freedigitalphotos.net
AsthmaAllergiesChildren.com speaks to that researcher side of me that I just can’t explain—the voice that asks “but why?” The only way I can describe this website is that Asthma Allergies Children is the bridge between a plain everyday mom like myself and my allergist, who swims in science and the medical side of managing life threatening food allergies and asthma. Henry’s compassion shows through. He clearly wants mothers to have enough background data to understand manage her child’s allergies and asthma.
Image courtesy of Amazing and Atopic.com
As much as I want to think that he is doing that just for me, it is simply coincidence. Henry is much like the Tom Sawyer of allergy reporting really—he gets lots of interesting people to participate. I met Henry by chance at when a few of us bloggers were invited to the Auvi-Q Sanofi headquarters to meet the epinephrine auto-injectable device back in January. The lone rooster in the hen house, Henry managed himself well amongst us lipstick-wearing types. When I realized that Henry was the person behind one of my favorite sites I was surprised. While I knew his name, I had to get past my own stereotype of a food allergy blogger. Somehow, I had envisioned a petite little food allergy stay-at-home mom with a science degree who knew how to translate medical data into terms that I needed to know as a parent of two asthmatic and food allergic children. But…no! Henry was, in fact, a guy! I’ve been honored to get to know him over the last several months and I as each month passes, my admiration for him grows along with my enjoying his friendship.
image courtesy of Vistasamb2001 via www.freedigitalphotos.net
He is quite supportive and empathic to our quest as the CEO’s of our homes and children’s health. His MO is to keep himself in the middle and be respectful of all parties involved and help decipher information. He is quick witted and writes some of the best blog posts and email on the Internet. Side bar: back in the day, Henry was a corporate speechwriter and was even invited to work in the White House, but unfortunately, it was the wrong party in office at the wrong time. An ex-President’s loss is our gain.
Henry enjoying an evening with this son…note the suspenders. How perfect!
One of the hardest things I find about managing both life threatening food allergies and asthma is talking to others. I hate to be the one that might be perceived as demanding, pushing or for asking too much. What I now know, fourteen years later, is that honest, clear information presented with kindness works!..
Awesome to know! I have shared the website on my blog in the invaluable resources section and pinned it, too.
Julie,
Amen! The resources from his website are important. I’m reading both of his books. I confess that I’ve been reading his first book for many months, clearly I’m behind on my reading, but it is my favorite so far.
Thanks for furthering our quest to share knowledge.
Any time! I’m happy to share!
Thanks so much, Caroline! Great to be out from behind the curtain on your blog, which is so exemplary, and you are so hard working!
Henry,
My pleasure! At some point, I’m going to need a photo of you peeking out from behind the curtain you know!
’ve been honored to get to know him over the last several months and I as each month passes, my admiration for him grows along with my enjoying his friendship.”
I am not eloquent with the written word and my thoughts and feelings are not easily put down on paper, but I could not have said it better myself. 🙂
I am thankful for the opportunity to learn more about the man behind the curtain.
Carrie, Don’t you think Henry is simply the most unassuming man? His compassion for our mothers and fathers within the food allergy and asthma community is stunning.
I really enjoy chatting with Henry and most of all learning and having a safe place to ask questions where I don’t feel silly or stupid.
In my mind, Henry is one of our “solutions” in this world. I hope he continues his work until we find a cure and we are all raising our glasses of soy milk together!
Yes, Caroline! I think Henry is absolutely FABulous. I can’t sing his praises enough. He has put up with my incessant questions and neurotic tendencies and still comes back for more! He has given me knowledge and insight that I could find anywhere else. he has made me feel validated by answering my questions and concerns and he really tries to dig deeper and fund answers and solutions to the best of his ability.
I agree that he is one of the solutions and he gets it “right” by listening! I hope to one day meet him in person and thank him with numerous hugs.
In my usual fashion, typing didn’t agree with me…. My above post should have read that I could NOT have found anywhere else.
Carrie,
I am queen of the typos and dear Henry has thankfully sent me many emails helping me out!
In my usual fashion, typing didn’t agree with me. My above post should have read that I could NOT have found anywhere else.
Carrie,
Don’t you think Henry simply proved you are not neurotic but trying to learn! My children’s allergist said that if I didn’t feel crazy then I was not doing my job! He really does do an extraordinary job with listening though.
Have a great weekend!
Argh, why did it post twice? I am digging my hole deeper and deeper.
Great post about a great man! I agree that he is very unassuming and works tirelessly behind the scenes. I value his advice and friendship and everything he does to help the food allergy and asthma community and am glad he is no longer an entirely “unsung” hero!
It also took me a while to finish the Asthma Allergies Children: A Parent’s Guide, (not because it was long, but because I was short on reading time) but I agree, it’s a favorite, for sure!
http://www.amazingandatopic.com/2013/03/asthma-allergies-children-parents-guide.html
Selena,
PERFECT! Thank you for sharing the link since I have not finished the book yet. I forgot you posted about it! I will add it right now to my blog post.
Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Henry is definitely a favorite among the moms in the Peanut Anaphylaxis Cure group on FB. We’re privy to his extensive knowledge and get to enjoy his quick wit to boot!
Hi Charlene,
I just enjoy his site and Henry’s wit too. Funny so many of us know him in many different ways?! Glad it is all good!