{"id":284869,"date":"2023-02-12T13:48:27","date_gmt":"2023-02-12T19:48:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.liveaction.org\/news\/?p=284869"},"modified":"2023-02-09T20:56:04","modified_gmt":"2023-02-10T02:56:04","slug":"chef-down-syndrome-treats-dog-friend","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/chef-down-syndrome-treats-dog-friend\/","title":{"rendered":"Award-winning chef with Down syndrome whips up treats for man’s best friend"},"content":{"rendered":"
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A 32-year-old Florida woman with Down syndrome has built up a national following with her gourmet dog treats business. <\/span><\/p>\n

Allison Fogarty is a Dog Treat Chef and CEO of her own company, <\/span>Doggy Delights by Allison<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span>Fogarty\u2019s story of becoming a chef is an unusual one, beginning during a two-year period of her life when she was unable to eat and drink normally. She was born with Tracheoesophageal Fistula (TEF), an abnormal connection between the breathing tube (trachea) and the eating tube (esophagus). From ages 11-13, she underwent a series of surgeries and other medical procedures to correct the TEF. During that time, she couldn\u2019t consume anything by mouth, instead receiving all nutrition through a tube placed surgically into her stomach.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

She found herself drawn to Food Network shows \u2014\u00a0especially Rachael Ray\u2019s show \u2014\u00a0to help her pass the time and cope. She <\/span>commented previously<\/span><\/a>,<\/span> \u201cRachael Ray saved my life when I was sick. I watched her shows all the time, and I wanted to be a chef just like her.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

While Fogarty enjoys cooking and baking for humans just like her chef hero Ray does, fo<\/span>r her business she opted to concoct healthy edible creations for man\u2019s best friend.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n