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I have copied the article over this absolutely horrible injustice. I am a parent with a child who has severe allergies so I do understand what this parent is going through.  Before having my daughter Emma, I honestly thought allergies were made up in your head.  I had no allergies, and just thought it was an excuse to eat what they wanted.  Well that changed 5 years ago.  I can tell you now that I am informed and understand how allergies work.

For parents to actively get together to protest because if there kid brings a peanut butter and jelly sandwich to school, that they have to wash there hands and rinse there mouth before reentering the classroom is disgusting.  This child can be seriously harmed or even worse it could cause fatality.  What if this was their child? 

Would they feel the same way?

Instead of protesting, why don't they educate themselves on allergies?

Why don't they set a good example for their child?  Be a role model?

Why don't they teach their child a valuable lesson in this situation?  Show them just because someone has a disability does not mean that you have to lash out at them.

Do these parents understand that this child could be seriously harmed?

I really hope not.

Many people including myself 5 years ago do not understand allergies, and when someone does not understand something they tend to ignore it.  I can tell you allergies are real.  Emma has a severe peanut allergy and when she was on a plane last year someone was eating peanuts a couple rows in front of us and she began to wheeze and cough incessantly.  We were lucky it was not more serious, but why would a parent intentionally or unintentionally try and harm another parent's child just because the school would like to take the precaution of rinsing their child's mouth out.

Isn't the idea of school to keep our children safe?  Well what gives?  Read this article and let me know what you think?  I would like to hear from both people who have children who have allergies and those who do not.

 

Parents Protest Over Girl's Peanut Allergy

Controversy Erupts At Edgewater Elementary Public School

POSTED: Wednesday, March 9, 2011 UPDATED: 6:21 am EST March 11, 2011

 

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EDGEWATER, Fla. -- A first-grade student at Edgewater Elementary School is struggling with a rare life-threatening peanut allergy, and it's causing a controversy among her classmates' parents.

 

VIDEO: Parents Protest
READ: School Letter | IMAGES: Protest

 

"We're not talking about she will break out in a rash. We are talking about she will die, stop breathing," said Tracey Bailey, the mother of the 6-year-old girl. The condition affects only 2 percent of the population.

 

Because of the condition, first-graders at the school are required to wash their hands and rinse out their mouths to avoid bringing peanut particles into the classroom.

 

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"I don't think my child should have to rinse her mouth out three times a day. Nine times out of 10, peanut butter is not coming out of her mouth," said Carrie Starkey, whose daughter is a classmate of the girl.

 

"Teachers and parents are walking on eggshells," said Laura Burr, a mother of two children attending Edgewater Elementary.

 

In a letter sent in August, Principal Lynda H. Moore informed parents that the girl "has very severe reactions to even the slightest exposure." The letter stated that the girl can be affected simply by sitting at a table with someone who has a peanut butter and jelly sandwich or being touched by someone who has eaten a product containing nuts.

 

Parents said they feel their children are being stripped of their classroom rights and the girl's condition also prevents students from having holiday parties in the classroom with outside food.

 

"They shouldn't have to lose out on what they should be able to experience at school," Starkey said.

 

Parents said all the rules are taking time out of the learning process, and they protested Thursday morning outside the school with signs.

 

"On average, it's probably a good 30 minutes taken out of the day. That's my child's education. Thirty minutes could be a whole subject," Starkey said.

 

Protesters handed out fliers that claimed their children were wiped down with Clorox wipes. The fliers also said peanut-sniffing dogs will be at the school and snacks are not allowed in the classroom.

 

Nancy Wait, of Volusia County Schools, said Clorox wipes are used to clean desks, not students. She said federal law and the Americans with Disabilities Act mandate that the school ensure a safe environment for the girl.

 

"It is an inconvenience and it might seem like it's a bit overboard," said Wait, "but it's what is medically necessary for a particular student and has been sign off on by a physician."

 

Wait also said the students wash their hands and wash out their mouths in another classroom twice a day before entering their room. Wait confirmed that a peanut-sniffing dog will be at the school on Friday to search for areas that may contain traces of the allergen, and she added that the costs are not paid for by taxpayers.

 

The girl's father, David Bailey, admitted the condition is an inconvenience.

 

"Is it taking away from her education? A little bit, because there's so many things we have to do to keep her safe," Bailey said.

 

The Baileys apologize for the disruptions, but said it's their job to protect their child.

 

"I would love everything to be normal and everyone else to have a normal life," Bailey said.

 

Protesting parents said they hope their message gets school officials to loosen the restrictions in place.

As many of you know I have spoken about a horrible experience concerning my daughter and her severe peanut allergy on a delta flight #1598 leaving from Fort Lauderdale expected to land in LaGuardia, New York.  We boarded the plane around 9:00 AM and we notified everyone involved that my daughter had a peanut allergy.  Their apparent policy concerning peanuts is that they will not serve peanuts 3 rows ahead and behind the passenger with that peanut allergy.  They say it is a buffer zone (unfortunately if you know anything about allergies this will not work).  Anyway, apparently the stewardess did not notify the rows behind me and a passenger was eating peanuts which when asked to please put it away he was very nice and did so.  He told me he did not know as the stewardess did not approach him.  As we are on this tarmac for a total of over 3 hours they were serving peanuts to passengers in the back of the plane and they were dropping them and bringing them to their seats.  We could not go to the back bathroom with my daughter or get a juice or snack for my 5 year old.  She started coughing and wheezing.  We had to give her 2 doses of the inhaler.  Luckily she did not have an anaphylatic reaction.  I approached the stewardess to get off the plane, but we were not allowed to do so as we were in the middle of the runway, and subsequently there after the plane was canceled.  The stewardess kept saying it is Delta's policy and we cant do anything.  On a side note, the return flight home when we notified the steward of my daughters peanut allergy, he said he would not serve any peanut products on the flight.  We did not ask him to do this, but he took it upon himself to do it.  We did the same thing as we did on the previous flight and just notified him. 

Well I was tweeting with @deltaairlines yesterday, and their response was:

DeltaAssist: FYI - Often times less people request peanuts on early morning flights. Your daughters well being is important to us. Thanks for flying.^BH

So let me get this straight, I was trapped on a plane for over 3 hours with my child on what was expected to be a 9:00 AM flight and my daughter started to cough and wheeze, and I guess it is my fault that the airplane never left the airport in the morning because of bad weather and besides there is much less peanuts served in the morning.  Did you know my daughter has a much less chance of getting sick in the morning?  I cannot even react appropriately to a just flat out stupid comment. 

I have never been treated as poorly through this whole process as I have with Delta Airlines.  I would recommend not flying Delta if you have a disability and/or an allergy. 

I am a reasonable person, but the service as a whole has been so poor, and they wonder why the airline industry is crashing.  Though JetBlue is not perfect I will be flying them much more. 

On another side note:  Did you know when you fly Delta that if your flight is canceled that you have to request your bags off of the plane in order to receive them.  So you can imagine with no direction from Delta employees, the 200 passengers or so waiting at the carousel at baggage claim waiting for our bags to come out.  We waited about 40 minutes before I go over to the Delta Baggage Center and ask is there a problem with the bags on flight 1598?  Very rudely the girl says "well did you request them".  Huuhhh.  Why would on a canceled flight I have to request my bags does Delta think I just want to give them my bags.  So here we are requesting our bags and 1 or 2 people at a time is going to the plane and retrieving 1 or 2 bags at a time and bringing them back.  Hmmm very efficient.  I waited an hour and a half for my 2 checked bags, and I was one of the first people.  I can only imagine how long the 200th passenger waited.