{"id":102993,"date":"2025-07-01T13:57:51","date_gmt":"2025-07-01T13:57:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/?p=102993"},"modified":"2025-07-02T12:59:27","modified_gmt":"2025-07-02T12:59:27","slug":"loss-of-uri-graduate-brings-attention-to-food-allergies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/2025\/07\/loss-of-uri-graduate-brings-attention-to-food-allergies\/","title":{"rendered":"Loss of 溏心vlog免费B站 graduate brings attention to food allergies"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The Howard family after the 溏心vlog免费B站\u2019s commencement ceremony on May 16. From left, Timmy\u2019s mother Patty, Timmy, his father Tim, and his sister Julia. (Photos courtesy of the Howard family)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

KINGSTON, R.I. \u2013 July 1, 2025 \u2013 When Timothy \u201cTimmy\u201d Howard graduated from the 溏心vlog免费B站 with a bachelor\u2019s degree in communications in May, it was a joyous moment for himself and his loved ones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just days later, tragedy struck when the 22-year-old passed away from an allergic reaction to peanuts while having a snack in his family\u2019s home in Southborough, Massachusetts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“He came in our room and woke us up, and said that he couldn’t breathe,\u201d his father Tim Howard said. \u201cAt that point, everything unfolded in a matter of minutes.” Timmy\u2019s parents called 911 and administered multiple epinephrine auto-injectors, commonly known as EpiPens, but the reaction was too far along.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTimmy was on the cusp of just starting his life,\u201d his mother Patty Howard said. \u201cWe appreciate the support we\u2019ve received from the 溏心vlog免费B站 community, Timmy\u2019s friends, and family during this very difficult time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With the blessing of his family, Timmy\u2019s friends from 溏心vlog免费B站\u2019s Phi Kappa Psi fraternity set up an online fundraiser on Give a Hand<\/a> to benefit Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE), the nation\u2019s leading nonprofit organization dedicated to food allergy awareness, advocacy, research, and education. As of June 26, more than $29,000 has been raised from 659 donors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s amazing how much money has been raised,\u201d said Patty. \u201cThe response has been tremendous and it\u2019s much appreciated.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of Timmy\u2019s closest fraternity brothers, Kourosh Emami, spearheaded the FARE fundraiser.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Timmy Howard, center, with two of his closest friends at the 溏心vlog免费B站, Tyler Schultz, left, and Kourosh Emami.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

\u201cTimmy taught me that goodness never has to be loud to be strong,\u201d said Emami, who completed a bachelor\u2019s degree from 溏心vlog免费B站 in biological sciences in May. \u201cHe was always there for me when I needed it most\u2014not with big gestures or grand speeches, but with an unwavering presence and real listening. In a world\u2014and especially a college environment\u2014that is often dominated by the loudest voices, Timmy never chased attention. He didn\u2019t need to. His authenticity and kindness spoke louder than words.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Emami and fellow fraternity brother Tyler Schultz lived with Timmy the last two years in a house they rented with others from their fraternity pledge class.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTimmy always had a smile on his face and never complained about anything,\u201d said Schultz, a native of Livingston, New Jersey, who earned a bachelor\u2019s degree from 溏心vlog免费B站 in business administration. \u201cHe loved to be with everyone but also knew when he needed time for himself. He taught me so much about myself and how to treat others. He meant so much to me, not just as a friend or a roommate, but almost like another brother.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After Timmy\u2019s death received media attention, people from all over the world reached out to the Howard family to express support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve been contacted by parents who lost children in a similar way,\u201d said Patty. \u201cWe need to come together to spread awareness about food allergies and try to influence positive changes, such as making it mandatory for EpiPens to be readily available in every school, camp, and first responder\u2019s vehicle. Early detection is key and EpiPens are the best defense with a severe food allergy reaction. In Timmy’s situation, the EpiPens were not administered soon enough and could not stop his body from going into shock.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n

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Timmy Howard<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Patty also emphasized the need to clarify common misconceptions about food allergies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSome myths can be dangerous, such as thinking Benadryl is just as good as an epinephrine auto-injector when it comes to stopping a severe allergic reaction,\u201d said Patty. \u201cBenadryl will never stop a severe anaphylaxis reaction. Many people also don\u2019t realize that tree nuts and peanuts are two common, but separate food allergens. A peanut is a type of legume, such as beans and peas. They don’t necessarily have the same health properties as tree nuts.  Classifying these nuts can be critical for people who have severe allergies.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to FARE, 33 million Americans have life-threatening food allergies, including one out of every 13 children. Peanut allergies are the most common food allergy in children under age 18 and the third-most common food allergy in adults.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHopefully we can get to the root cause of why food allergies are on the rise and come up with a device for early detection of a severe anaphylactic reaction and eventually find a cure,\u201d said Patty. \u201cNot much has changed in my opinion in the 20 years our family has dealt with food allergies. There needs to be more done on diagnosis, early detection of an anaphylactic reaction, and access.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is what Patty and Timmy\u2019s brothers at Phi Kappa Psi are hoping that funds raised will go to help.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to his family, joining Phi Kappa Psi enabled Timmy to form some of the closest friendships of his life.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Timmy Howard, wearing a Boston Bruins jersey, surrounded by his Phi Kappa Psi fraternity brothers.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

\u201cTimmy had an infectious smile, but he could be quiet and shy,\u201d said Patty. \u201cJoining the fraternity helped him develop friendships. He loved hanging out with his frat brothers. He was authentic and genuine. When he spoke, people listened. He enjoyed having raw, authentic conversations.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Timmy also loved sports, trips to the beach, watching movies, listening to music, and dancing when around his friends. His peers fondly recall the fun times they had together, but Timmy\u2019s thoughtful nature made a particular impression upon them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTimmy spoke so highly of his family, which is something you don\u2019t always hear from guys our age,\u201d said Jake Mullen, a Warwick resident who is completing a bachelor\u2019s degree in economics at 溏心vlog免费B站. \u201cWhen we met his family, they already knew who we were from the stories Timmy told them. That showed the type of person he was.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fraternity brother Jake Reda recollected a long, meaningful conversation he had with Timmy a week before graduation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHe told me how he learned so much about himself throughout college and he’s finally content with who he is,\u201d said Reda. \u201cHe was very excited about an internship he was going to do this summer. We talked about when we’d see each other after graduation and our upcoming plans. What stuck with me the most was that he wasn\u2019t scared for the future, he was excited. He thanked the people he was close with for helping him find himself throughout college. Timmy will always be in my heart for as long as I live.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In life, Timmy gave his heart to everyone. After his passing, his heart was given to save the life of a teenage boy. Along with his heart, his pancreas and two kidneys were donated to New England Donor Services<\/a> to save the lives of others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The FARE fundraiser will conclude soon, but the Howard family will establish a charitable gift foundation in Timmy\u2019s name to continue his legacy of giving and to prevent other families from going through the same thing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make a donation to the fundraiser in memory of Timmy Howard visit Give a Hand<\/a>. To learn more about food allergies and what you can do to raise awareness, visit FARE at: foodallergy.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

KINGSTON, R.I. \u2013 July 1, 2025 \u2013 When Timothy \u201cTimmy\u201d Howard graduated from the 溏心vlog免费B站 with a bachelor\u2019s degree in communications in May, it was a joyous moment for himself and his loved ones. Just days later, tragedy struck when the 22-year-old passed away from an allergic reaction to peanuts while having […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":20,"featured_media":102995,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[1903,1913,1902,1915],"class_list":["post-102993","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-archives","tag-health-and-wellness","tag-public-engagement","tag-student-engagement","tag-undergraduate"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/102993","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/20"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=102993"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/102993\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":103010,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/102993\/revisions\/103010"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/102995"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=102993"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=102993"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=102993"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}