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Louise Larsen

POKWASPA (Parents Of Kids With A Severe Peanut Allergy Support Group)
Founder, Dir.
Westminster, CA
Louise Larsen is: Mother, writer, blogger, Food Allergy Advocate, Founder and Dir. of POKWASPA, Model-mom, and independent Silpada sales rep.

I have a very multifaceted background which began in theater, then moved into writing, teaching, health advocacy, and raising awareness about life-threatenng food allergies, then through my daughters, my work now also includes (fashion) model management.

I founded and run the successful online support group, Parents of Kids with a Severe Peanut Allergy, with over 7,000 members, and still growing every day!

P.O.K.W.A.S.P.A. is a successful support-group for parents who have kids with a life-threatening allergy to peanuts. I wanted to create a "kitchen-table" atmosphere where parents who may be overwhelmed by the demands of this condition could really talk with others who truly understand this diagnosis and what it can do to a family. A place to finally ask the questions others were too busy to answer earlier. It was my mission to provide the kind support I so desperately needed myself many years ago beginning in 1997: I wanted a "home base" I could go to for support and info -- one grounded in the kind of real talk you'd hope to find from that best friend down the street who also has a kid with a peanut allergy, too. You can join Parents Of Kids With A Severe Peanut Allergy Facebook Group anytime.

For several years I've worked tirelessly to see my group remains the same as it's always been: Open, honest and as helpful as possible given that it's grown tremendously since she first created it. I have always done this entirely voluntarily. Recently I enlisted the assistance of a handful of other members who share my vision to keep Pokwaspa available to all parents who discover their children can die from one accidental bite of the wrong kind of food. I am currently at work on her first book about what she has learned so far in the past decade of supporting parents with kids with a peanut allergy through her group.

My creative writing has been published several places, including The Orange County Register and Zooey Magazine and I was a contributor to both Prince Gomolvilas's Bamboo Nation and The Bilerico Project, as well.

My vocational highlights include former work as an actress, a passion for creative writing and ongoing efforts as a food allergy activist and health writer, as well as helping both my daughter's careers in the fashion industry as professional models for the past 3 years. I recently started working with Silpada Designs and represent their jewelry, too.

Since her teenage daughter (Juliet Larsen, l.a. models) was 14 I managed her career as a professional model while keeping her in public school as well. While finishing High School with a 4.3 GPA Juliet also worked in California and across country in now over 75 designer fashion shows. Her online runway portfolio can be found online at l.a. models runway. I also manages the print modeling career of my youngest daughter, Annalily Larsen, who is currently in the Youth Division at l.a. models.

Now that my oldest daughter is applying to colleges I realized it was time to generate a bit more needed income for my child's college years so I took a new part time job with Silpada Designs Jewelry. You can view my store, here. http://sild.es/CeH

Being an independent direct sales rep. for Silpada Designs and throwing fun jewelry parties has been a fun outlet for me as well as a lucrative way to make some needed funds -- plus I love the jewelry! By taking some "me" time and engaging with others after working in solitude online or for my book makes things more balanced. I adore doing Food Allergy Advocacy but, now and then it's important to step away from providing support for literally thousands of concerned parents, to also occasionally add work that is light-hearted and fun.

My year's goal this year is to complete my book about my own journey as Peanut Allergy Mom