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.
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Understanding is the key ingredient in all disagreements, but most people don't want to understand they want to defend their position.
An ALLERGY is a DISABILITY? Parents need to show their DISABLED child what peanuts are and to stay away from them * PERIOD.
As a child I was allergic to cats * a couple of bouts with runny nose and itchy eyes, I learned not to touch them and rub my eyes...
PS * don't label your child as DISABLED
That's horrible, I have a food allergy, where if I have MSG, I go into Anaphylactic Shock I stop breathing. I have to carry a eppie pen just incase and rushed to the hospital.
My daughter had a allergy to tomatoes, and experienced the same thing. Her allergy doctor stated that since she is young, re-introduce her to tomatoes after 6 months, (of course just a little); if she doesn't react, in a few week give her a little more. Sure enough, like he stated, her body forgot that she had this food allergy, and now she eats tomotatoes all the time.
Great post, and thanks for sharing.
Janet, absolutely understanding is huge in any disagreement and to put a child in the middle of this may not be the intentions of these parents, but is the ultimate outcome.
Wallace, I am not labeling my child as disabled, but there is some precedence set where it does fall under the disabilities act. An environmental allergy is much different than a food allergy. If a child has an airborne peanut allergy all it needs to be is around them and the effects could be the same as injesting it. Much more serious. Vomiting, hard to breathe, hives, throat closing up are some of the symptoms. It again is much more serious than acat allergy where many of the times it is a runny nose and itchy eyes.
Raiza, thank you very much for your comment. Unfortunately, unless you are somehow effected by a food allergy you just do not comprehend the many challenges and obstacles it can cause.
When I read about a peanut alergy, my thoughts go directly to "What has changed in our environment that has made these children so vulnerable to a peanut?"
One of these days, I hope this question will be answered.
In the mean time, whatever can be done should be done to protect the children in danger.
We all need to learn more about this. And yes, a person with a severe food allergy is considered to be disabled and has all the rights afforded to the disabled as delineated by the ADA. If there is anything for us all to learn from this incident, from the reactions and the discussions is that we all need to learn more. Many people continue to confuse a food allergy with food intolerance. Many confuse food allergy with a typical environmental allergy. A great deal have no idea that anyone can die from this.
I have had dinner with someone who lost his son to an anapgylactic reaction to peanuts. He described to me what he endured on that day. It sounds sensationalist when it is not your reality, but the dangers are very REAL.
Compassion, understanding and education...we have to all believe that each day is better than the last in that front for those of us that are parents of food allergic children and also for those of us who stand on this earth as human beings sharing this space.
I would like to address this comment to the parents that actually participated in the protest at this innocent child's school. As parents, we know that inevitably there will come a time in all of our childrens' lives that some concession will have to be made by others (for one reason or another) in relation to an issue that arises concerning our own child. I hope for your child's sake, that when that time comes, that others show your family more understanding and compassion than you have shown this little girl.......Remember what you learned as a child, "Be careful little mouth what you say". This also applies in adulthood.
I am so glad to see people defending this poor little girl and her family.
An allergic reaction from peanuts can occur from ingestion, skin contact, or inhaling peanut protein (dust). People with allergies to peanuts can and have died after contact. Life-threatening food allergies are recognized as a disability under ADA; students with this disability who attend a publically funded school are eligible for a 504 plan, which is a legal document between the parents and the district.
Parties and snacks in schools are not crucial to an education and are not rights. As far as the dog, would these parents who are protesting deny that to a blind child who required a sight-seeing dog to get around? And when was hand-washing bad for you? Also, don't dentists suggest brushing twice a day--rinsing out their mouths may actuallly have a positive side benefit.
We have all heard the phrase, "Life is not fair". Those who have food allergies in their families live it daily from cakes one can't eat at birthday parties, to sweets that one can't consume on Halloween, sports events/carnivals and the peanut shells, to asking restaurants what they cook with and explaining about one's allergy to chefs, along with the normal everyday "unfairities," if you will, that every family faces. The difference is this child could die because someone thinks it is not fair their child can't have a specific snack at a specific time.
These children without food allergies have been blessed with something many of us take for granted-the ability to eat whatever they want (or even come in contact with) without the consequence of anaphylaxis that can result in death, coma, or brain damage. They can eat their desired food product outside of school for breakfast, as an afterschool snack, for dinner, as an evening snack, on the weekends, during vacation breaks, over the summer, in any restaurant, movie theater, or at any other time or any other place. A child with a food allergy cannot eat or come in contact with the allergen not even once, without an anaphylactic reaction.
The average human lifespan is about 72 years. That's 72 years that a person without a food allergy will have plenty of moments to enjoy foods that he or she is fortunate enough to be able to eat. For the person with the food allergy, that's 72 years of avoiding food products containing his or her allergens.
It is not an inconvenience or unfair for anyone to provide or eat a product that is free of these allergens in the classroom. This accommodation would not affect any child's education or life. It could, however, affect this child's education as stated by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and would most assuredly affect her life.
Simply stated: One child's appetite is not more important than another child's life.
Some people say that people with food allergies who have certain requests should just grow up and live in the real world. If anyone has matured quickly and is currently living in the real world, it is those with food allergies. They have had to learn quickly that they have food allergies and have to be careful about the foods they eat and how to avoid other types of contact with these allergens. These children are the ones who rely on the adults around them to protect them and let them know if something is safe for them or not and have to double-check daily every food, drink, medicine, vitamin, lotion, shampoo, and any other product they put in their mouths or on their skin. These people are acutely aware of their own mortality. These people have to carry Benadryl and Epi-pens with them where ever they go. These children know that one day they will be old enough to be responsible for their own safety and advocacy. They've been "living in the real world" since before others had even discovered the phrase.
These parents protesting are a true disgrace and are teaching their children that it is all right to be bullies and discriminate against those with disabilities.
The school/district should be commended for following federal guidelines in conjunction with the doctor's recommendations.
As far as reintroducing food back into the diets of someone with a food allergy, that should ONLY be done in a doctor's office for monitoring purposes after skin and blood testing has been done. I would run as fast as I could from any physician who says it's safe/okay to do at home.
Sign me: Team Bailey.
Team Bailey,
Well said. I can hear the emotion in your voice. I too have a child with severe food allergies including wheat, peanut/tree nuts, shell fish, egg, and sesame. I know how hard it is to eat out at restaurants, and to go to kids birthday parties and explain to your child why they can't eat what the other kids are eating, However, I see the other side because I too was one of them. A non-believer of sorts when it came to allergies. I understand, but do not agree with how the parents reacted to this situation. I think us as parents of children with food allergies need to do a better job of getting the word out. We need to do a better job of educating people who do not understand food allergies. I would never react like these parents did and am outraged at how they put this innocent child in harms way. Thank you very much for your comment.
Ralph, thank you for your comment. I know how hard you work on getting the word out, and this has smotivated me to get the word out as well. If you ever need help I would be happy to help and want to help.
Compassion for all,
very well said. This might be my favorite comment. Thank you.
Hi, there, David! It's Team Bailey. Thank you for your kind words in regard to my previous comment. My heart goes out to your child and your family.
I do not have children (though I can understand why you thought I did), but I know someone who does (with a food allergy), and while I agree that educating about food allergies is extremely important, it's been my experience that many people have no interest in being educated. I have been researching and educating for eight years.
I believe this is more a matter-of-the-heart issue, than we-need-to-educate-them-more issue. There was a point in my life, before the child with the food allergy entered it, that someone else made a request for me to change a recipe because her child had a severe food intolerance (which is not life-threatening and different from a food allergy). I didn't have to think twice about changing the recipe, not knowing--at that time--ANYTHING about food intolerances or food allergies. All I knew was that this ingredient would hurt the child, so I made adjustments. That was all I needed to know. It's not about the education, it's about the state of one's heart. And these parents protesting in Florida have shown theirs.
Best wishes to you and yours.
cpbrooks,
I agree with you, and I always say that we tend to ignore what we don't know so it would only make sense that many people are ignorant about food allergies because they have no deisre to understand food allergies. Unless it directly effects people, people tend not to react. We are a reactive society and tend not to be proactive so with your example is unfortunately the exception rather than the rule.
I do think many of our views get skewed because we tend to make greater expectations than may be reallistic and when a person falls short of it we become outraged. When talking about kids, or pets or anything that we truly care about we bring a huge amount of emotion into the situation and react because of it not in spite of it.
I agree that we certainly need to be more concerned about people in general and their feelings rather than always are selfish reasons. Compromise is the key. Thank you again for contribution.
Kat,
Home school and isolating your child is not the answer. You really believe that having the kids rinse out their mouth and wash their hands is too much to ask? It certainly is not fool proof and yes there can be a problem, but home schooling should be a voluntary thing not involuntary. Also that is why the school nurses and teachers have a plan in place in case something does happen.
I have a 6 year old who has severe allergies to wheat, egg, peanut/tree nuts, sesame and shell fish. She knows exactly what she can and can't have and she does not accept food from anyone except the school chef or the teacher. It is the parents responsibility to educate their child. This is not about blame this is about preparation and education.
You say that "you would not leave a life in the hands of 6 year olds" that is however your choice. Most kids with allergies know that they cannot accept any food from other children. I do not believe you understand as you do not have a child with allergies. Special needs are different for every child. This also is not about the choice of a parent to send their 6 year old who has food allergies to this school. It is about the ridiculousness of parents actively getting together to protest the children to be forced to rinse their mouth out after meals and wash their hands. I think it is horrible, and if your child was in this situation how would you feel when your child's friend's parents were protesting about your child. It just is insensitive and unjust.
It is worrisome to see kids with strange kinds of allergies. We need to investigate deeper into this problem and attack the root.
Dan Statlander
http://www.statelandbrown.com
(Real estate experts in Boca Raton Florida)
Dan, you are so correct. A lot of money is being raised from FAAN and we organize walks every year so that we can find a cure. They do a great job in trying to get the word out however we need all the help we can get. Get involved if you can to help.
As a mother of two children who suffer from nut allergies, I want to acknowledge that this is a very difficult situation for everyone who is involved. The state is required to provide an education for this child and to provide a safe environment. The parents want to be sure that not only that their child is safe, but will be a productive member of society.
This child will grow up and will need to know how to navigate around her allergies in society and it would be so much better if adults would show her how we can work together to solve a problem rather than making it a much bigger one.
And, just so you know, my oldest boy is a freshman in high school and has participated in many activities including band, Boy Scouts, sports and has safely navigated potlucks, holiday parties and other activities in spite of his allergies. I am considered an advocate for kids with allergies and I do my best to speak out for them and let people know that they deserve understanding and respect not ridicule or ignorance.
Sue,
Extremely well said. As I mentioned in my posts I too have a child with a nut allergy and we have had success in keeping her safe through all the birthday parties and school functions. All it takes is a little compassion for someone other than yourself. These children are great children and just because they have to be careful around food does not mean that they should be ehome schooled. To me it shows pure ignorance and intellect to knowingly organize and protest over having your kids wash their hands and rinse their mouth out. I would love for them to "Walk in my shoes"