ICYMI: Long Island Herald: Gillen: Congress should pass Gio’s Law to save lives

WASHINGTON, DC - In case you missed it, the Long Island Herald published an op-ed by Congresswoman Laura Gillen (NY-04) on her newly introduced bill “Gio’s Law,” named in honor of 14-year-old Giovanni Cipriano, a Lynbrook High School freshman who died in 2013 after going into anaphylactic shock. 

Long Island Herald
Op-Ed: Congress should pass Gio’s Law to save lives

By Laura A. Gillen

More than 32 million Americans live with life-threatening food allergies and other severe allergic conditions. Anaphylaxis can be triggered by food, insect stings or medications — things we come into contact with every day. In the event of life-threatening allergic reactions, families should not have to worry about access to life-saving epinephrine.

Last month, I proudly introduced the bipartisan legislation Gio’s Law alongside my Republican Long Island colleague Rep. Andrew Garbarino. Congress should come together and pass Gio’s Law, which would equip America’s brave law enforcement officers with lifesaving EpiPens and provide the training to administer care when responding to allergy-related emergencies.

Epinephrine is the first line of treatment for anaphylaxis, the only medication that can fully reverse the severe, life-threatening symptoms of anaphylactic shock. Benadryl or other allergy medications will not reverse those symptoms; only epinephrine can do that. Putting EpiPens in the hands of our first responders could be the difference of life or death for members of our community.

I introduced Gio’s Law in honor of Giovanni Cipriano, a Lynbrook native who died from a severe allergic reaction at age 14. Giovanni, who was known as Gio to his friends and loved ones, was a beloved son, brother, teammate and honor student who had just begun his freshman year at Holy Trinity High School when he suffered a fatal response to a food allergen. His life was tragically cut short because of this reaction. We must do everything we can to prevent other families from suffering such a heartbreaking loss.

Gio’s Law would establish the first-ever federal grant program at the U.S. Department of Justice to equip law enforcement across the country with EpiPens and the training needed to recognize the symptoms of anaphylactic shock and administer epinephrine.

I was honored to develop this legislation with Gio’s mother, Georgina Cornago, a Long Island native and the founder of the Love for Giovanni Foundation. Georgina has been a tireless advocate for this policy at the local and state level. Her commitment to honoring Gio’s memory by working to prevent future tragedies and keep other families from enduring this pain is nothing short of awe-inspiring. Over the past decade, Georgina has succeeded in passing New York state’s version of Gio’s Law and worked to boost access here on Long Island.

With this bill, we are expanding this effort nationwide and working to make epinephrine available and accessible to police departments on Long Island and across the country.

State and local law enforcement officers are our nation’s first responders, and they are often the first on the scene for calls for medical emergencies. It is vital that officers are given the resources and training to ensure they can effectively respond to these emergencies.

During a severe anaphylactic reaction, every second counts. We’ve seen firsthand here in Nassau County that equipping first responders with EpiPens can make the difference in these emergency situations.

As we introduced Gio’s Law, I was proud to be joined by Lynbrook Mayor Alan Beach and members of the Lynbrook Police Department. The village was a trailblazer in deploying EpiPens with first responders. Beach and Lynbrook police officers have shared how their officers have saved multiple lives in our community by stocking and administering EpiPens.

This is a nonpartisan public safety issue: Gio’s Law is about making sure our first responders have what they need to save lives. By expanding access and awareness, we are making our communities safer for all those who are at risk of experiencing severe allergic reactions. This could be anyone, since many allergies do not manifest themselves until adulthood.

I am honored that the National Association of Police Organizations and the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America have endorsed the bipartisan bill, and I’m proud to support our brave law enforcement officers who work each day to keep us safe.

Since taking office in January, I have worked every day to find compromise and to deliver on the priorities that matter most to my constituents in Nassau County, such as keeping our communities safe. I am proud to honor Gio’s memory alongside Representative Garbarino, and we will continue to push to advance this bipartisan legislation. Congress should come together to carry on Gio’s legacy and pass this common-sense bill to prevent tragedies and equip our law enforcement with the tools to save lives in life-threatening medical emergencies.
 

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