Compassion for fellow anaphylaxis sufferers
Hi,
I am putting foward a plea for all parents of anaphylactic children to be compassionate and considerate towards each other.
Out of all the people on this planet, only those who have anaphylaxis or raise anaphylactic children can truly comprehend the desperation we feel, in trying to avoid exposure to allergens. It doesn’t matter whether the trigger is nuts, dairy, eggs, bees or latex,….etc. The end result is the same to the individual who is allergic. Anaphylaxis is anaphylaxis - the most severe form of allergic reaction which can be life-threatening.
As you know anyone can be allergic to anything, to any extent, it just so happens that 8 food substances make up 90% of all food allergies. Remember, everything else make up the remaining 10%. No one food is more dangerous than the next, it just depends on what an individual will react to. Most people have heard of “the nut allergy”, without understanding that the same immunological reaction can occur with dairy, eggs, wheat, soy, seafood or any other substance for that matter. Minute traces left on toys, dishcloths or even taps are enough to trigger a reaction, whatever the trigger may be. We all know this.
My mind is still spinning from our “trial” preschool last month. There was a child who was anaphylactic to peanuts, and the center banned all nut products, even down to the “may contain” statements. The parents knew what a risk nuts were to their child and sought help from every other parent at the center to protect their child, and avoid a life threatening situation. Knowing what an allergen can do to a person with anaphylaxis, knowing that Declan was attending the center, knowing that dairy would cause a life threatening episode if contact was made, those parents continued to send dairy every day.
I can understand it when people are completely oblivious to the risks. But it was a bitter disappointment to discover that someone who knows EXACTLY what we go through every time we leave our yard, shows the same ignorance. How can they expect an entire community to accommodate them, when they are not prepared to show the same courtesy to some one else. It was not nice to put a person in the very same situation they worked so desperately to avoid for themselves.
We want, need and expect others to understand, embrace and accommodate for each of our situations. We really need to show the same grace towards each other. Our kids need to know that others are afflicted with the same restrictions and we should look after them as well as ourselves.
I have always felt that it is a great opportunity for parents to teach their kids tolerance, consideration and compassion when they learn about our kids and their allergies. We have learnt along the way that only a very small percentage of people think like this, so we really need to support each other.
Please show compassion and consideration for each other, we are all going through the same thing.
Take care,
Mel
Hi,
I have a nine year old son who is anaphylaxis to EGGS ALL NUTS AND PEANUTS, he attends our local village school and has done since the age of 4.
Unfortunately he came home from school the other day very upset, as he had been told off and shouted at by the head teacher for removing himself from the dinner table that he was sharing with children who were eating an Almond Crunch pudding!! I have always taught my son that he has to be responsible for his own safety and to speak up about his allergy and worries. He pointed out the situation to the school dinner lady, who told him to move to another table. He had just sat at a table with chilren who were not eating this pudding. The Head Teacher told him to stop making such a fuss and told him she thought he was taking this Allergy business far to seriously. She told him to go and sit back at the table with the children that were eating the almond crunch.
My son was very upset by this, and now feels unsafe in school. This goes against evrything we have ever tried to teach him. I have tried so hard to educate people on this matter, and you know you have lost the fight when the Head of the school puts your son’s life at risk, without a seconds thought!
We have now registerd our son at new school that he will start in Sepember. Ignorance kills! I have spoken to the head about this incident ( I confess angrily and perhaps a bit loudly) and she insists my son should not have move places and that he was NOT put at risk by sitting sharing a table with children eating a nut pudding!
I feel very sorry for any parent who has an allergic child who will in the future attend this school. Most parents at the school have been great, and have even stopped sending peanut butter sandwiches, and on special occassions parents have sent in a kinnerton chocolate bar for him, whilst the others have chocolate sweets. So if all those parents can make the effort, will the Head Teacher refuse to make concession. I have no confidence now in my sons safety at school. I struggle evrey day to send him, by law he has to go, and I do not want to disrupt his school life, so we just have to get through to July and then he can move to a new school, who have taken his allergies very seroius, and are already making changes in school for his arrival in september!
Worried Emma, Suffolk UK.
Our daughter is 2 - she has anaphylaxis from milk (cow, goat, horse & sheep), soy protein, strawberries, tomatoes, some self adhesives, protein hydrolysate infant formulas and is also allergic to atropine.
She attends daycare 1 day week and is the only child there with anaphylaxis. There is a boy there who is allergic to peanuts (gets a rash but has no adrenaline or medic alert tags) so they have banned peanut butter (not any other peanut products). They don’t see the problem though with sitting our daughter with 9 other 2 year olds all of whom are eating yoghurt even though they are fully aware that skin contact with milk products is enough to trigger a reaction.
It seems like peanut allergy is the flavour of the month and tough luck if you are allergic to anything else.
Peanut allergies are envied by the other
allergies (anaphylactic allergies). Isn’t
this a sad state to actually envy another
person’s level of disability. But, it is
true peanut gets the press; and the other
allergens do not. Here in the USA we have
laws that are being enacted that will
benefit peanut allergic only!!! One law
in New Jersey introduced by Senators (two)
who have grandchildren anaphylactic to
peanut have written and gaining support
for the PEANUT LAW to protect peanut
anaphylactic from reactions in restuarants.
So, it will be a law in New Jersey for
restuarant staff/chefs, etc. to be fully
awaare of peanut anaphylaxis and prepared
to serve a peanut free meal. Now is this
not saying to the restuarants follow the
law, but if the law only targets peanut,
why should they take serious a request for
a milk free meal; or a soy free meal; or
an egg free meal; or a fish free meal; or
a wheat free meal; or whatever. There is a
label law that has been passed in USA
which has changed the labelling laws.
It is a long story, but this label law
will make finding soy free food even more
difficult for the soy anaphylactic than
it was before this law was put in place.
Acknowledgement of the problem this has
caused soy allergic has been made by
the director of FAAN in a recent article;
but it was referred to as a “small
inconvenience” overall considering how
much help it will be to those with
peanut anaphylaxis. So, you are just
starting out into the world of peanut
hypervigilance and ignorance of those
who have the same conditions caused
by a food by a different name. But,
it is not just happening in the
preschool; it is happening in the Senate;
and in Congress where laws are being
passed. Don’t feel sorry for yourself,
just realize you have again another
very uncomfortable and anxiety ridden
job thrust upon you; and that is getting
out the word in print and by word and
thru your government officials that
anaphylaxis is deadly and once the
cause is identified; laws and practices
need to uniform and inclusive. Don’t
settle. Good luck