Death by Peanut Part II of a Two-Part Series

In part one we talked about an allergy to peanuts that could actually take a life. We interviewed a parent, Mrs. Berry from Pennsylvania who shared with us the story of her five-year-old daughter and the solutions her and her husband have for instilling independence in a chronically ill child.

The child has started school full-time and as promised, I was given a follow-up interview with Mrs. Berry to find out what parents with similar situations could possibly expect once their allergic child has to be in school all day.

I had very specific questions, so the following will be a question and answer dialog.

Interviewer: How does a parent get a school to make an exception for just one child?

Mrs. Berry: When I called around to different schools asking what protective measures they had for a child who could not be in the room with the smell of peanuts; most schools said “none” and were reluctant to do anything in the way of service. I finally found a school that seemed sensitive to my needs. At least they were willing to talk about it.

Interviewer: Whom did you have to talk to?

Mrs. Berry: I met with the principle, her teacher, and the supervisor of the cafeteria. They were wonderful. The teacher came up with something called a “buddy” plan. They would put her in the nurse’s office at lunchtime with a volunteer partner to eat with her.

Interviewer: The nurse’s office? How did you feel about that?

Mrs. Berry: I was so happy that they could help, I didn’t care. But as it turned out, it did present a problem.

Interviewer: How so?

Mrs. Berry: Initially the first week children volunteered to eat with her and they loved the idea of being a special buddy. Then the next time he
asked for volunteers, there was a problem.

Interviewer: Why? What happened?

Mrs. Berry: My little girl was so sad. The teacher had went around the room asking who wanted to be today’s buddy and each child said no. So, my little girl crossed her fingers really tight and the very last child said yes. It turned out that the parents had a problem with the children eating in the nurse’s office and eating with her. The kids love my little girl, and when another child volunteered again, some of the parents sent their
children to school every day with peanut butter sandwiches.

Interviewer: The adults sent peanut butter to school? Did they know what affect it had on your child?

Mrs. Berry: Everyone knew. But, I was not really shocked or anything because when I was trying to find her a school, it was the parents who said that they should not have to deny their child peanut butter because another child couldn’t have it.

Interviewer: Because another child couldn’t have it…not because another child could die from it?

Mrs. Berry: That’s the way some people feel.

Interviewer: Where does this leave your little daughter?

Mrs. Berry: It leaves her right back to the beginning, where we teach her to overcome each hurdle. Her dad is a Physical Therapist and he has taken her to work with him many times. She even has her own little doctor bag and stethoscope and she “helps” him with his elderly patients. She loves it. So, in her saddest times he kept saying to her, “Honey, you know you are a medical person. So, don’t worry about eating in the nurse’s office. When the kids get sick, they do it before they get to the office, so any place is the same as the nurse’s office. And don’t worry about the kids not being able to eat with you. They all like you and you can see them in the playground”.

Interviewer: And that worked?

Mrs. Berry: It helped her to cope. Of course, we pray a lot.

Interviewer: So how are things to date?

Mrs. Berry: Well, there is one little boy who is very protective of her, and his mom is an absolute angel. They are best friends and he sticks with her no matter what. I think it is because of his determination the other kids are coming around. I hear now that some kids are throwing tantrums if the days pass and they don’t get an opportunity to eat with her. Also some of the older kids from time to time poke their heads into the nurse’s office and want to know what is going on and my little girl proudly explains peanut allergies to them. It is amazing to see that children have no
prejudices or superiority. It’s kind of sad that we lose that innocence.

Our children are suffering from a life-threatening allergy and they cannot stay home and be protected. They have to be in a place all day that neither cares nor knows how to respond to their allergic reaction. The place is our public schools.

It is obvious that public schools have their share of problems and it will take a lot of political changes and new regulations before our new “special” children are provided for. In the meanwhile, is there anything that anyone is doing to address this new threat?

I am happy to say that US Researchers, Yale Medical Groups, Duke Medical Center, and many Pediatric Allergists are putting forth their best effort to conquer this newest scourge. The following links will give you a heads-up on exactly what measures are being taken to prevent and cure this new threat to our children.

http://www.itwire.com.au/content/view/13745/1066/

http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2007/05/04/peanut-allergy.html

http://www.wtnh.com/Global/story.asp?S=5071649&nav=3YeX

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/OnCall/story?id=2107158&page=1

http://www.webmd.com/allergies/news/20030710/treatment-peanut-allergy

These additional links will take you to companies that make peanut-free foods, and friendly-fun “no peanut zone” signs for schoolrooms, and authors that have written children’s books on the subject that help the allergic child to cope.

http://www.divvies.com/

http://www.allergicchild.com/peanut_allergy.htm

http://amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw/104-6504777-9357516?initialSearch=1&url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=Allie+the+Elephant&Go.x=0&Go.y=0&Go=Go

I’d like to close this report with a very appropriate line from an old, old song in hopes that it will uplift all of those who are coping with allergic and otherwise ill children and give them the strength to continue on.

“I believe that children are the future. Teach them well and let them lead the way.”

Darn, and I thought I had finished crying, but putting this story together started the water-works again. The little girl is my granddaughter, and I’ll tell you, this is the most difficult interview I have ever had to do. But if it is only a drop in a sea of change, it was worth it.

Next week, we’ll get back to our lunchbox learning.

See you soon