Mishicot family's epinephrine push to honor son with Dillon's Law passes Wisconsin Senate
By the Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter
MANITOWOC - As she sat looking at a scrapbook filled with newspaper articles, epinephrine information and photos of her late son, Mishicot's Angel Mueller could see how far she and her family had come in the fight to make epinephrine widely available to the public.
Dillon’s Law, named for the Muellers' son, who died after having an allergic reaction to a bee sting in October 2014, passed the Wisconsin Senate Tuesday with a unanimous voice vote and will be sent to Gov. Scott Walker’s desk to be signed.
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“This is what we have been working towards this entire time,” Angel said. “This was the goal from day one, for the public to have a choice. … I hope epinephrine will be in everybody’s first aid kit.”
The bill would make it possible for anyone trained in recognizing anaphylaxis and administering epinephrine to obtain a prescription for an auto-injector and purchase it at a pharmacy.
“This means that no other parent has to go through what we do every single day,” Angel said.
State Rep. Andre Jacque, a leading sponsor for Dillon’s Law, has asked Walker if he would sign the bill at Mishicot High School, where Dillon had spent time with his teachers and friends.
Angel and her family have advocated for the expansion of laws allowing epinephrine use since Dillon died. They have organized free training sessions for epinephrine use and they continue to work with the Dillon Mueller Memorial Fund to help families and organizations purchase epinephrine that they otherwise couldn’t afford.
“Our motto is ‘Do It For Dillon,’” Angel said. “Every day, everything we do, we do it for Dillon.”
Jacque introduced the bill earlier this year and has relied on the testimony from Angel and George to help the bill gain traction in the state government.
"It was a very emotional moment for them (Angel and George) and it means they have a legacy of being able to provide better care for their community," Jacque said. "My hat is off to them and they have certainly worked hard to provide training for people in Manitowoc County."
Angel and George have made four trips to Madison to share their son’s story and attended the state senate meeting Tuesday when Dillon’s Law was passed.