Marie Hardy and her daughter Ella enjoy the nice weather in Leesburg. In her spare time, Hardy blogs about food allergies on Allergy Life in Loudoun.

Photo: Charity Corkey, LoudounExtra.com

Tagged: allergy, blogging, children, health, Up Close

At four months, Ella Hardy was diagnosed with severe allergies to milk, eggs and soy. Today, the three year-old must stay away from peanuts, tree nuts and garlic as well to avoid an anaphylactic allergic reaction.

Photo: Charity Corkey, LoudounExtra.com

Tagged: allergy, blogging, children, health, Up Close

Rachel Lawson, left, looks after nine-year-old Zach Case, foreground, who has a form of autism, and his siblings eight-year-old Jared Case and six-year-old Katie Case while their mother speaks before the Virginia House Appropriations Committee and the Virginia Senate Finance Committee during a public hearing Monday, Jan. 19, 2009, in Richmond, Va.

Photo: AP Photo/Richmond Times-Dispatch, Alexa Welch Edlund

Tagged: children, health, health care, State news

Brothers, Korlan, 2, and Gareth, 4, play in the basement with their father, Bill Oldham. The two have autism.

Photo: Katherine Frey, Washington Post

Tagged: children, health, Lansdowne

Four-year-old Gareth Oldham shows a visitor the basement where he has therapy six days a week. He did not show signs of autism until after an illness, when he started to regress developmentally.

Photo: Katherine Frey, Washington Post

Tagged: children, health, Lansdowne

Gareth Oldham, 4, helps to seatbelt himself in as he and his brother, Korlan, 2, go to school. Both have autism and are in the same special needs class.

Photo: Katherine Frey, Washington Post

Tagged: children, health, Lansdowne

Bill Oldman changes the diaper of his youngest son, Korlan, 2, who did not shows signs of autism until after an illness.

Photo: Katherine Frey, Washington Post

Tagged: children, health, Lansdowne

Gareth Oldham loves to be held upside down and tickled by his dad, Bill Oldham.

Photo: Katherine Frey, Washington Post

Tagged: children, health, Lansdowne

Cassandra and Bill Oldham's two youngest sons, Gareth, 4, and Korlan, 2, have a special diet. They must be separated when eating so they don't eat each others food.

Photo: Katherine Frey, Washington Post

Tagged: children, health, Lansdowne

The Meng family in their rented Aldie home. From left to right, Paul, Kaleigh, 12, Emma, 11, and Wendy.

Photo: John McDonnell, Washington Post

Tagged: Aldie, Chantilly, health

Paul and Wendy Meng look into the dining room area of their mold-contaminated house in Chantilly, Va.

Photo: John McDonnell, Washington Post

Tagged: Aldie, Chantilly, health

Paul and Wendy Meng stand outside of their mold-contaminated house in Chantilly, Va. They cannot enter the house because it still makes them ill.

Photo: John McDonnell, Washington Post

Tagged: Aldie, Chantilly, health

Wendy Meng receives her daily oxygen.

Photo: John McDonnell, Washington Post

Tagged: Aldie, Chantilly, health

Wendy Meng is shown sitting in the basement of her rented house in Aldie, Va., receiving her daily oxygen treatment.

Photo: John McDonnell, Washington Post

Tagged: Aldie, Chantilly, health

Loudoun officials officially opened the county's first Child Advocacy Center at Inova Loudoun Hospital on Friday. Sue Curtis, Executive Director of Loudoun Citizens for Social Justice/LAWS, reacts to the positive comments about the center.

Photo: Dayna Smith, Washington Post

Tagged: children, health, health care, Inova Loudoun Hospital

Steve Craun, Loudoun hospital security supervisor; Rob Smith of Gradon Manor, a mental health facility; and Joanna Heiser, a Loudoun County public school social worker during the opening of Loudoun's first Child Advocacy Center on Friday.

Photo: Dayna Smith, Washington Post

Tagged: children, health, health care, Inova Loudoun Hospital

Anatomically correct dolls are available to counselors on as as-needed basis the county's first Child Advocacy Center at Inova Loudoun Hospital.

Photo: Dayna Smith, Washington Post

Tagged: children, health, health care, Inova Loudoun Hospital

Loudoun officials have opened the county's first Child Advocacy Center at Inova Loudoun Hospital. Interviews can be taped and monitored in a room adjacent to the interview room.

Photo: Dayna Smith, Washington Post

Tagged: children, health, health care, Inova Loudoun Hospital

Loudoun officials have opened the county's first Child Advocacy Center at Inova Loudoun Hospital. The reception room features toys and games.

Photo: Dayna Smith, Washington Post

Tagged: children, health, health care, Inova Loudoun Hospital

Loudoun officials have opened the county's first Child Advocacy Center at Inova Loudoun Hospital. Andy Johnston, executive director of Loudoun Cares congratulates Dr. Judy Hanley on the new center.

Photo: Dayna Smith, Washington Post

Tagged: children, health, health care, Inova Loudoun Hospital

Your Thoughts...

Are you happy that the school year is over?