Parents Say Student's Peanut Allergy Hazardous to Their Kids

Allergin desensitization doesn't work in all cases. Also, after elementary school I would expect my daughter to be more than capable of avoiding possibly dangerous food as well as being able to administor her own epi shot if needed, so after graduation is really a mute argument.

That sounds sensible. Wouldn't it be much simpler and effective to set aside a few tables where peanuts are not allowed to be consumed rather than trying to enforce a ban on peanuts on the entire school? If the child is too young to understand that there are some foods they can't eat, or to know to ask if new foods contain peanuts, I think it's a good idea to have those few tables set aside where a teacher could monitor what those kids eat, rather than having to survey the entire cafeteria, checking every single child's lunchbox for a random snickers bar or PBJ?
That aside, I am very supportive of the hand washing procedure for elementary schools/daycares. Every food break should start and end with one!

The protest is about a girl with SEVERE life-threatening peanut allergies, which clearly and thankfully your daughter's are not. SEVERE in itself indicates not being able to eat a handful of peanuts, and a citrus allergy would not be life-threatening either, so neither are a match to the girl being protested. A child with SEVERE peanut allergies cannot ingest even a trace of peanut without having a reaction, therefore not suitable for desensitization. My daughter currently receives four allergy shots 1-2/wk for environmental allergies, and it has been working very well for her. I only wish there was treatment for her food allergies, but there is not. It is not her fault that she has a life-threatening condition of which she has no control over. She would much rather be free of it than require "special treatment", like needing her classmates to refrain from eating peanuts around her or requiring hand-washing. But since that is out of all of our control, I would like to think that common-sense would tell everyone, a little inconvenience is certainly worth it to protect another human's life.

Your a complete idiot! Don't you think if they had allergy shots for allergic children every allergic would get one. Get real that is the point, there is no cure. Even desensitizing studies do not cure peanut allergies. They only desensitize the child so that his or her reaction is not as severe. Read the facts, a child can die if exposed to peanut products, do you really want a child's blood on your hands? Eat your peanut products at home!

Very well put. You said so much of what I said at my daughter's school when trying to write a 504 plan for her to go to first grade next year. The school doesn't seem to understand the difference between a food allergy and a SEVERE peanut allergy. They have a peanut-free table in the lunch room, but won't agree to more than that. They refuse hand-washing, because it is too time consuming, but defeat the purpose of peanut free table. What's the point of keeping the tables separate, if the same hands with peanut butter on them at lunch are allowed to go back into the classroom with the PA student. They also want to allow peanuts in 1st grade classrooms that she will rotate through on a daily basis, only banning peanuts from the room she will eat her own snack in. Worse, they even want her to administer her own epi-pen, at 6 years old. :( I'm sure they are so reluctant to budge, because of so many parents like these protesting, for fear that there will be protest at our school too. However, I know now, I will live with the fear of hearing the phone ring, ambulance sirens, etc worrying that she has come in contact with a nut. It is so hard to understand why people cannot have enough compassion to see that it is not special treatment for an allergic kid, it is necessary safety precaution for a SEVERE peanut allergic kid to give them equal chance of living into adulthood as their other peers. I too was appalled by the pediatrician's comment about a reaction being rare, because if there is one thing a PA kid can count on , is that if they come in contact with a peanut, they WILL have a reaction.

I am sorry you have a terminal illness but you have been given many years on this earth. A child is God's most precious gift to this earth and should be protected. The bible states this in many places. My son has a severe peanut and tree nut allergy and if one of the most gifted children. He attends school, plays sports, is in cubscouts, and has playdates. No he is not allowed sleepovers and only allowed to go to peoples houses that are not willing to administer an Epipen if needed. My daughter does not have food allergies and at the age of 3 has more compassion than any of you self centered adults that cannot give up peanuts for 7 hours a day. My son is healthy and eats healthy food all without having to consume peanuts. Where in the bible did it state that human beings had to have peanuts or tree nuts to survive? Eat them in the comfort of your own home. An education is a right that our soldiers have died for, respect it. All American children have a right to an education whether they are white, black, hispanic, asian, physically or mentally handicapped. Shame on you for trying to take this little girl's right's away. It will be your children who will grow up selfish, ignorant and probably criminals. As a mother or an allergic child and one who is not, it is a lot easier to accomodate my non allergic child. We have been a nut free family for 7 years and it has not affected anyone's health. Your children get to sit where they want and my child has to sit at a peanut free exclusive table. I commend the school for standing up for this child's right's. As for the mother of the handicapped husband. Seek therapy, you obviously have anger issues. Be careful, it may be your daughter who develops food allergies. God does amazing things to teach us kindness. I have seen a parent snub allergy children only to find her son in the same situation less than 6 months later. "Judge not least the be judged." Jesus died on a cross for our sins so that we could be cleansed. Remember that the next time you teach your child to be unkind to another child.