On International Picnic Day, Learn how a Simple Meal was Life-Changing for Pam

    CHICAGO, IL, June 16, 2016 /24-7PressRelease/ -- June 18 is International Picnic Day. Picnic food, from cold salads to sandwiches is meant to be a simple meal to enjoy outdoors. However, when Pam was pregnant with her daughter Louise, an unassuming turkey sandwich put Pam in the hospital and her unborn daughter's life at risk.

Pam was mindful of the guidelines about what pregnant women should and should not eat, giving up sushi in favor of soy shakes. She turned to a turkey sandwich for a source of protein to take on a picnic. However, a benign lunch in the park on a fall day changed her views on food safety and foodborne illness.

Only six months pregnant, Pam soon found herself in the hospital with Listeriosis, requiring an emergency C-section to deliver Louise. "That turkey sandwich turned my placenta from a powerful nutrient-rich disc of life to the rotten pock-marked slab that came out of me, awash in brown fluid" Pam said. Luckily, both Pam and her newborn daughter survived.

After this trauma, Pam reached out to STOP Foodborne Illness. "I called after Louise was born, in that time of uncertainty, not knowing exactly what I was seeking but knowing that I was now committed to the issue of food safety and wanted to connect with people who were dedicated to it."

After this experience and learning more about food safety, Pam and her family are dedicated to raising awareness about foodborne illness.

"STOP has been there for our family as we have moved through crisis and into anger and education. They have provided information, advocacy and empowerment, and we are dedicated to ensuring that they receive the funding that they need to continue to shine their bright light on the issue of food safety."

Read Pam's full story here: http://www.stopfoodborneillness.org/stories/pam/

About STOP Foodborne Illness
STOP Foodborne Illness (STOP) is a national, nonprofit, public health organization dedicated to preventing illness and death from foodborne pathogens. STOP achieves its mission by advocating for sound public policies, building public awareness and assisting those impacted by foodborne illness. www.stopfoodborneillness.org.

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