Hey, folks. Today’s post is dedicated to a friend of mine (we’ll call her ‘M’).  Her 6-year-old daughter ‘R’ has a life threatening peanut and tree nut allergy. In the fall, R will be staring first grade, and every day, M will sit at working dreading a call saying her kid is having an allergic reaction, and the ambulance has been called.

Luckily, they have never had a reaction.  Due, in part to M’s hyper-diligence, but because she has taught R proper hygiene (i.e., hand washing), and to NOT to take food from others. But, even with all that, at the end of the day, they are kids. So many parents never even think about this type of thing, until they are faced with the challenge of having a peanut-free classroom or lunchroom. R has to carry an EpiPen with her at all times. But, her parents really don’t want to have to stab her in the leg because she stops breathing from ingestion of a nut.

Last year, when R was in Kindergarten, M had to listen to tons parents complaining about not knowing “what the hell” they could feed their kids, if they couldn’t have peanut butter or nuts. Really? That’s all you give your kid, for lunch, is PB&J? Why not try something new like turkey sandwiches, soup, macaroni and cheese, yogurt, soy butter, etc. There’s even something called “sun butter,” that is made from sunflower seeds. M says it tastes just like peanut butter.   Heck, M has to find things, for R to eat, too! As well as, worry about other kids not washing their hands after lunch and snack times.

R is not going to grow out of it. This is not something they asked for. And, just a little will hurt! Hurt in a way that no one wants their kids to see. Talk about a traumatic disruption to the school day. We’re talking seeing a classmate swell up, turn blue and get stabbed in the leg with a big needle. Oh, and then they may not even survive it. R’s peanut allergy is a serious thing. A possibly deadly thing.  Luckily R knows she’s allergic, and doesn’t put anything in her mouth (that M knows of) and washes her hands, regularly.

Birthday treats and holiday parties, at school, are always a challenge, for M and her family. As long as the parents call or email M a few days before, she can make R something comparable to the class treat. No big deal. Either she or her husband attend ALL class parties and usually bring the food. Although, sometimes people just don’t think about all the things that have peanuts in them, or come in contact with peanuts. For instance, at the Halloween party, they used candy corn for a game of bingo. No big deal, right? Wrong. Brach’s candy corn is processed on the same machines as the chocolate covered nuts.  Crazy, I know. So M brought R some Kroger-brand nut free candy corn. Then at Christmas, the school decided to use mini marshmallows instead – as M suggested.

M and her husband (also R) try to make R’s life as normal as possible, so she doesn’t have to worry as much as her parents do. Their house is a nut free zone, no nuts allowed in the house – anywhere.

When asked what she would like to tell parents of “allergy-free kids,” M had this to say…

Parents of allergy-free kids are lucky. I don’t want to freak them out, or put them out; I just want them to have a smattering of consideration. They wouldn’t want someone to give their kid a hand full of tacks to eat or play with – and that’s only a little close to the dangers that nuts present to my kid. And no, I am not going to home-school my kid! I am not going to make her sit all by herself at food times, and allow her to be treated like a leper or less than other kids because she can’t eat something. We teach her to be safe, I just wish others would stop and think before they judge!

A funny story… R (dad) was shopping with R the other day. While they were getting some peppers, she looked at him and said “Dad there are peanuts next to us, so we shouldn’t stand here.” He said “ok,” and moved on. Even though, I’ve told her she doesn’t have to be that crazy about it, I applaud her for being so perceptive of her environment.

For more information on Food Allergies, please visit Food & Allergy Anaphylaxis Network.

S/N: When The Kid was one, he had a reaction to the Gerber jarred macaroni and cheese. They gave some Benadryl and we were given an EpiPen – just in case of an emergency. But, luckily, we’ve never had to use it. He will occasionally have a small reaction to something, or the other… but Benadryl knocks it right out.

Just wondering… do any of your kids, have a food allergy?

___