Ignorance is NOT Bliss

I came across this article from Time Magazine through this website I read quite frequently and I must admit it made me mad. Obviously, the writer of the article is clueless. She suggests that there is just too much hype over food allergies in the classroom. That is so absurd. If you've never experienced someone having a severe allergic reaction, let me describe it to you. Imagine your child eating a snack and after just one bite she begins choking and coughing. Her eyes are watering, her mouth and body break out into hives. She's scratching her skin to the point of bleeding and can barely catch her breath. Her fingernails turn blue. Now, she's almost out of breath and fear is in her eyes. This all happens within a minute or two. This is what a severe allergic reaction looks like. You have no time to think about how to help her, how to save her life. You just act. Did you know that an EpiPen will help her, but may not last long enough to get her to the hospital before her body reacts again? Do you know how to use her EpiPen?? According to this article, most physicians don't even know how to use an EpiPen! Astonishing! My daughter's EpiPen Jrs came with a test pen - no needle - so that you can practice and know how to use it when the emergency happens. Seriously, how many people will be able to read the instructions fast enough in such a high-pressure situation? You better know how to use the pen before it happens! I have a practice pen in my daughter's tote bag, along with her EpiPens. I have showed her babysitter how to use it and plan to teach my oldest daughter now that she is old enough to know and remember, just in case she's with her sister when/if a reaction occurs. Every second counts once a reaction occurs. I don't think anyone who has experienced a severe reaction could possibly minimize the risks involved in a classroom setting where food is present. It is a life/death kind of situation for my daughter who has a very severe milk allergy, a peanut allergy and an egg allergy. She will be in school in just over a year from now and you better believe I will be checking out her classroom setting and making sure there is an allergy-free policy in place before she goes to school. It should be this way for ALL classrooms and schools. I will not place my child's life in the hands of ignorance. It's my duty as a parent to protect her from such situations and I will do everything in my power to make sure my voice is heard. Food allergies can be life-threatening. Educate yourself and your child's caregivers for your child's sake.