Parents preach allergy dangers after daughter’s death
By Kurt Chirbas, Sacramento Bee
In the last four weeks, Sacramento urologist Louis Giorgi and his wife, Joanne, have received countless cards.
Envelopes, in a rainbow of colors and sent from people across the nation, overflowed from a bowl on a counter in the Giorgis’ Carmichael kitchen. Personal notes offered condolences for a young teen who died too soon. And some expressed gratitude for the message of her grieving parents.
Natalie Giorgi
The Giorgis’ 13-year-old daughter Natalie died on July 27 from a severe allergic reaction to peanut butter while the family was at Camp Sacramento. The couple have since used Natalie’s death as a rallying cry for more education about children’s food allergies.
They helped establish a nonprofit organization called the Natalie Giorgi Sunshine Foundation, which is aimed at promoting public awareness and research of food allergies. They are giving out “Natalie Marie, the Sunshine Girl” wristbands – in her favorite shade of purple – for community members to wear.
On Sept. 15, the parents will be participating in a fundraising walk for Food Allergies Research & Education, a group working on behalf of millions of Americans facing potentially life-threatening food allergies.