My son has severe nut allergies. And fish allergies. If you’re a parent of a child with severe food allergies then that’s really all I need to say and I know that you get it. However, there are many many people who don’t get it.
I carry an Epi-pen. Every time I drop my son off for a play date or a birthday party or camp, I need to be sure that the responsible parties have the Epi-pen and know what to do with it. I need to ask to see the labels for whatever food will be eaten. It’s not only food. Lots of lotions and lip balms contain nut products. I say a quick prayer that my cell phone won’t ring while I am away. It is scary.
About 100 people die annually from food-induced anaphylaxis. From food allergies.
Good friends of ours have a son, let’s call him Sam, who is extremely allergic to tree nuts. Last week they sent him off to the same daycare he’s been attending for 4 years. His teacher is also the mom of one of his buddies. This particular day, the teachers were treated to an ice cream cake. Sam’s teacher thought it would be a nice idea to share. He was given a piece of cake that contained Heath bars. Heath bars contain almonds.
Sam did not react immediately to the cake. His dad arrived to pick him up a little while later and the teacher apologized and said she didn’t realize that the cake had Heath bar on it until later. By the time they got home, Sam had hives across his torso. They dosed him with Benadryl and watched him closely and, thankfully, he was fine.
If you are a parent of a child with an Epi-pen you are scared. Here’s why:
- The teacher did not give him Benedryl as soon as she realized he had been exposed (which is exactly what Sam’s paperwork states should be done).
He had been attending the school for 4 years and the teachers and staff know him well, and know about his allergy.
The teacher is the mom of Sam’s good friend and they have play dates from time to time. She really knows Sam, and assumes responsibility for him from time to time outside of school.
Sam could have died. If it were a pistachio instead of an almond than this would be a very different story.
If you are a parent of a child with an Epi-pen you are pissed off. Here’s why:
- The teacher did not call the parents as soon as she realized her mistake.
The director never contacted the parents after the fact.
The school gave no indication that that took this incident seriously.
The day after this happened Sam’s parents had to initiate a meeting with the school’s director, business manager, and teacher. Both of Sam’s parents are teachers. They have always been very clear about their son’s condition. They understand how schools work. They trusted these caregivers for 4 years. The school and the teacher screwed up.
In the meeting Sam’s parents were passionate and articulate and extremely clear about the severity of this transgression. They outlined what should have happened and were adamant that the school’s protocol be reviewed, that staff members received additional training, and that reasonable steps would be taken to ensure that the chances of this happening to another child were greatly reduced. The school is taking the issue seriously, and changing the way that they operate.
Sam’s parents rock.
Aidan’s just finished his 2nd year in the public school system. So far, thanks to a very aware teacher, he hasn’t been exposed to any of the foods he’s allergic to. In kindergarten the parents were asked to supply snack from a list of approved options. It was made very clear to them that they must stick to the list because of severe food allergies. Often, my son had to eat a different snack because the parents didn’t get it and sent in food that contained nuts. Is it laziness? Is it busyness? Is it thoughtlessness? It is certainly dangerous (ness).
In September Aidan will literally climb the stairs into second grade. He will then be a floor away from the nurses locked cabinet which contains his Epi-pen. Here’s the thing: anaphylactic shock can result in death in a matter of minutes if it is not treated. Think of how long it would take you to recognize a reaction, go downstairs, unlock a cabinet, retrieve the medicine and go back up stairs. Now imagine you are in a school which serves 900 students. This is not acceptable. This is scary.
Aidan is too young to be responsible for his own medication. We are considering implementing a 504 plan with the school administrators. Instead of continuing to balance vigilance with trust we now feel it might be necessary to utilize a component of the Americans with Disabilities Act to keep our son safe. The 504 plan might mean that whatever adult is with Aidan at any given time will need to have the Epi-pen on his/her person at all times. It might mean that there is one in the classroom and one in the nurses office. But then what about PE? Music? Art? I know he won’t be eating in those classes, but here’s another twist: a reaction can occur hours after exposure.
I wrote this post because even though I consider myself to be allergy aware, people become complacent. I forget that although I have talked to his caregivers about his allergies, they have other children to think of as well. I wrote this post because people forget. People make mistakes. It’s important to review our Allergy Action Plan as our child grows and his circumstances change. We recently goofed. We neglected to speak to his teacher to find out what the plan was while they left school grounds for a field trip. I wrote this post because I want to remind you, too.
And also to beg you, please, if you assume responsibility for a child who has food allergies be cautious and informed. Ask for instructions on how and when to use an Epi-pen. Food allergies are not just hype. They are serious and can certainly be fatal. If you need to send in a snack, make every effort to respect the food needs of your child’s classroom. If you have questions then STOP. Make a call or change your plan.
Allergies suck. Being a parent is scary.
Here are a couple of helpful websites about food allergies:
http://kidswithfoodallergies.org/
[tags]food allergies, nut, anaphylaxis, anaphylactic shock, school, parenting, special needs, 504 plan, allergic reaction at school[/tags]
Photo graciously provided by Dan4th under a Creative Commons License, some rights reserved.
6 responses so far ↓
"Sam's Mom" // Jun 27, 2007 at 12:31 pm
Hey Megin…nice post…
Thanks so much for getting the word out. It’s one of the scariest things I face as a parent…and I know you get it…Every parent of a child with a need for an Epi-pen should have a 504 plan. I know we are in the process of setting one up, too!
Just to follow-up…today at “Sam’s” daycare, his teacher was wearing his Epi-pen around her waist…and all food related field trips are no longer happening…so I guess I got my point across.
jen // Jun 27, 2007 at 5:19 pm
My son has nut allergies. Not severe enough to need an epi-pen thankfully. He’s only ever had one accident and that was my fault for not reminding one parent at a house we were at that he was allergic to nuts. My son was given a peanut paste sandwich and we spent ages at emergency just in case. He was fine, but I’m definitely more vigilant now.
He has a care plan at school and they now have a no nut policy there.
Megin Hatch // Jun 28, 2007 at 1:48 pm
Hey Sam’s Mom-
Thanks for reading and piping in. You handled the situation really well, and now spreading the word is just as important.
Jen-
Good for you for having the care plan in place. I have mixed feelings about no nut policies. Nuts are everywhere and it’s scary but I wonder if “nut free” environments offer a false sense of safety?
Thoughts?
Susan // Dec 3, 2007 at 5:18 pm
I am 35 years old and I suffer from food-induced anaphylaxis. I am severely allergic to tree nuts, peanuts and the entire legume family, carmine red, shellfish and soy in all forms. (Did you know that soy is even present in ink??) I have been hospitalized 2 times in the past 2 weeks. Yesterday, while already admitted in the emergency room, my reaction rebounded and for the first time in my life I felt the very real fear that I may die. In the midst of all this, when the paramedic offered her sympathy, all I could croak in reply was “Don’t feel sorry for me. It could be much much worst. It could be one of my children who suffered from these allergies. I am fortunate.”
Because I am the sufferer, I have complete knowledge of what I am experiencing. I could never have complete and total knowledge of how my child feels and THAT lack of control, and the ignorance and irresponsibility of others, would set me crazy.
With that being said, I do have one suggestion. Medical ID jewelry. There are websites that offer great bracelets for kids, and I find that my allergies are taken a bit more seriously. My medical ID jewelry also gives me reassurance (albeit a false sense of security) that in the event of an emergency, something could “speak” for me.
Best wishes to you and yours.
kevin // Dec 4, 2007 at 12:24 pm
I formerly taught at a school where a child was fatally allergic to fish. One day the cafeteria ran out of chicken nuggets and instead substituted fish nuggets without labeling the dish or making any notice to staff. The girl’s parents were eating lunch with her that day and, upon seeing the suspicious nuggets on the bar, asked a classmate to try one and tell them what it was. Obviously the parents were livid to find out it was fish and rightly so. The child’s doctor estimated that, had she ingested the fish, she would have had four to seven minutes before she died from lack of oxygen.
Twice I have taken my wife to the emergency room to be treated for anaphylaxis and we now worry that our daughter may have an allergy. Most frustrating (and thus revealing) is the lack of understanding from others. Many hear the word allergy and picture Jan Brady sneezing because she’s allergic to the family dog. Others I think view the illness as strictly psychosomatic and thus view the parents as being over protective or paranoid. So few people realize contact with even the slightest fragment of an allergen can mean suffocation or heart failure and eventual death. It used to make me angry. Now it just frustrates me. I don’t think any amount of explanation really gets the point across to someone who doesn’t have the same condition. Frankly, I think you said it better than I likely could have so I’ll link to your post. Thanks.
http://musicdownloadsmp3.tripod.com/music_downloads.html // Dec 10, 2007 at 7:40 pm
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