Ahmed Fahour, CEO of the the NAB, with the $1,000,000 cheque that was accepted on behalf of the Ilhan Food Allergy Foundation by Patrica Ilhan and Brendan Fleiter. More pictures from the 2007 Rainbow Ball

The Ilhan Food Allergy Foundation was founded by Mr John Ilhan and Patricia Ilhan in 2006 after their young daughter suffered an anaphylactic reaction and was subsequently diagnosed with anaphylaxis to tree nuts.

The Ilhan Food Allergy Foundation is dedicated to John and Patricia's vision of improving the lives of people with anaphylaxis and food allergies. We achieve this by:

• funding world class scientific research
• educating the public
• raising awareness about the issues surrounding anaphylaxis and resources available for the management of the condition

What is anaphylaxis?

Anaphylaxis is a life-threatening allergic reaction caused by eating food or coming into contact with another product which provokes allergy. The most common food allergens are peanuts, tree nuts, eggs, milk, wheat, fish and shell fish.

How common is anaphylaxis?

The Australian Society of Clinical Immuology and Allergy reports that around 1 in 20 children suffer from food allergies (and of these, about one in ten could suffer a severe reaction, causing anaphylaxis) and around 1 in 100 adults are afflicted.

In April 2007, the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne reported a 300% increase in hospital admissions related to anaphylaxis in the past five years. Ambulance Services have also reported a record number of call outs for anaphylaxis with a 33% increase since 2001.