The death of three-year-old Elijah Silvera in 2017 shook the city. He had an allergic reaction to a grilled cheese sandwich he was given at an Administration for Children’s Services sponsored program in Harlem.

His parents say it was well known and documented that he had a severe dairy allergy.

They took their pain and turned it into purpose, creating the Elijah Alavi foundation and getting Elijah’s Law passed. The bill requires all daycare programs in the state to follow guidelines and training for preventing and responding to food allergies.

Dina Hawthorne is his mother and joined “News All Day” for the Wellness Monday segment to talk about her commitment to preventing this tragedy from happening again.

Hawthorne says parents should speak with their pediatricians and ask how to get their child tested for food allergies. If you’re sending your child to day care, don’t be afraid of being a nuisance and asking a lot of questions, including, “How can you protect my child in your facility?”

Hawthorne hopes to make Elijah’s Law a federal law. For more information, go to ElijahAlaviFoundation.org.