'Dillon's Law' heads to vote in State Senate
By WFRV
MISHICOT, Wis. (WFRV) - The Wisconsin State Senate is in session tomorrow and is expected to pass a bill named in honor of a Mishicot teen who died from a severe allergic reaction. Local 5's Kris Schuller reports that "Dillon's Law" will allow trained individuals to administer epinephrine to save a life.
Three years ago - 18-year-old Dillon Mueller was stung by a bee, went into anaphylactic shock and died a few days later. A painful loss his parents deal with every day.
“When Dillon got stung, nobody knew what was happening, no one had an epinephrine auto-injector available,” said Angel Mueller, Dillon’s mother.
“We just said this isn't right, we need to have people have EpiPens, it should have been in someone's first-aid kit, it would have saved his life,” said George Mueller, Dillon’s father.
After Dillon's death a law was passed allowing trained businesses or organizations to obtain and give epinephrine in an emergency with these auto-injectors known as EpiPens. But trained individuals were excluded and these grieving parents asked Rep. Andre Jacque (R-De Pere) if he could change that, to help speed delivery of this life-saving drug.
“It needs to be immediate and that certainly is something we found in Dillon's case, seconds matter,” said Rep. Jacque.
“Dillon's law will extend those privileges for businesses and organizations - to anyone who is trained,” said Angel.
This past year the Mueller family worked with Jacque, testifying before committees and lobbying lawmakers to make that change. The proposal passing unanimously in the Assembly this spring - now expected to pass Tuesday in the Senate.
“I can't think of the last time there was a bill that has been unanimous at every step in the process where there would be some kind of concerns that would pop up on the floor,“ said Jacque.
“From day one I had no doubts at all, it's a basic extension of the previous law,” said Angel.
“They take that training, they can get an EpiPen," said George.
Which is all Angel and George Mueller have wanted - so no one else feels the kind of pain they deal with every day.
Representative Jacque is so sure the legislation will pass that he's already asked Governor Walker to sign the bill into law at Mishicot High School.