In a previous post I briefly talked about peanut allergies and peanut-free schools. I was reading an article in the Patriot Ledger about how schools are balancing the peanut popularity and allergy worries. I never thought about how kids with these allergies felt but reading the article it made me realize that they do not want to be treated any differently from a peer without allergies. Being singled out is very difficult from some kids especially those that experience severe allergies and have to sit at separate table. One parent of a student with a peanut allergy responded to parents’ complaints saying if they were at the hospital for the 8 hours with their child they would feel differently. Today 400,000 children in the United States suffer from peanut allergies and this number has practically doubled in the last 5 years. In school systems they are attempting to be “peanut free” or at the very least “peanut aware.” In Norwell their cafeteria uses computer technology to alert cashiers if the student has an allergy. This way they can double check to make sure that everything on their tray is safe for them to consume. This is a problem that school officials have to take seriously. It is important for these students to be around peanuts so they can be prepared for being exposed to them in the real world.
1 comment:
Thank you for talking about an issue that impacts my family so much. I'm a mom of a 9-year old with a life-threatening peanut allergy who struggles daily to balance my son's safety with having him lead a "normal life" and not inconveniencing other families.
You write "It is important for these students to be around peanuts so they can be prepared for being exposed to them in the real world." However, in the "real world," my son won't be surrounded by messy people eating peanut butter, or if he is, he will be allowed to get up and leave the environment - not an option at school.
What many people don't understand is how just a tiny bit of peanut protein can be deadly to someone with peanut allergies. My son has had a reaction after eating safe pretezels at a desk where a pastry with peanut butter had been eaten the day before. Robyn Allen, whose mom started Anaphylaxis Canada, died after eaten a sandwich which had been cut with a knife that was used to make a pbj sandwich and then "wiped clean." Many of the people featured on this website were killed by only the tiniest bit of their allergen.
http://booandbrimom.diinoweb.com/files/Memorialoct2007.pdf
I'm so thankful for my son's classmates and their families, who have been so supportive in helping to keep him safe and able to attend public school. He loves his school and his friends, who would much rather have him around than a peanut butter sandwich.
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