A parent’s worst nightmare came true for the Silvera family after their 3-year-old son, Elijah, passed away in 2017. Elijah ate a grilled cheese sandwich at his day care facility in Harlem, had a severe allergic reaction and died.
His death prompted the foundation of “Elijah’s Law,” which is now in effect in New York State and provides higher standards of safety and prevention in child care programs.
“When a parent drops a kid off at school, they want to have peace of mind when they come back and pick up their kid,” said Elijah’s father, Thomas Silvera.
Since the Silvera family had to deal with a tremendous loss, they wanted to turn their pain into purpose. The family worked with lawmakers to pass Elijah’s Law.
According to The New York State Office of Children and Family Services, the law requires a communication plan, a response plan and allows child care providers to have an Auvi-Q epinephrine autoinjectors on hand. The Auvi-Q injector is dosed for small children who weigh between 16.5 and 33 pounds.
After Lt. Gov. Brian Benjamin heard Elijah’s story, he wanted to be a part making a change with setting this new legislation in place.
“Every child care facility in the state of New York must have a plan as to how they deal with allergies with students or kids who are in their care,” said Benjamin.
Besides pushing for legislation, Thomas Silvera also raised awareness about a new a new type of injector pen that was created to save children when they go into an allergic reaction. It was included in the statute.
Elijah’s Law went into effect on Sept. 15, 2021. The family hopes that this law can save many other lives.
