In Edgewater, Florida there is a little girl with severe peanut allergies. How severe? Severe enough that her physician has asked the school to implement the following rules:
1. Children must wash hands before entering the class.
2. They need to rinse out their mouths to remove any peanut residue that they have eaten.
3. No outside foods should be brought in for class parties.
These rules came from her PHYSICIAN, not her parents. Luckily this type of severity of reaction to small amounts of residue is rare. But it happens.
And the parents of the other children in her class are so outraged that they have taken to picketing and protesting the school.
They are carrying signs that say "NO TO CLOROX WIPES" (really? What's wrong with wipes?)
"WHERE IS THE HAPPY MEDIAN?" (There's not a happy median when dealing with a medical condition)
"OUR KIDS ARE SPECIAL TOO" (No doubt, but your kids don't have special needs)
WHY ARE WE BEING KEPT IN THE DARK?" (They gave you the rules. Did they hand them to you in a cave? You aren't being kept in the dark.)
"NO DOGS" (A peanut sniffing dog was brought into the school one day for the girls protection. So apparently dogs are bad but peanuts for the girl with the deadly allergy should be OK.)
There's also a lovely little poll on the article that asks (brace yourself for this one):
Should one student’s medical condition impact the entire student body?
16% say YES
84% say NO
So are they just talking about food allergies or are they also talking about:
paralysis
diabetes
autism
Downs Syndrome
learning disabilities
cancer
Multiple Sclerosis
Muscular Dystrophy
blindness
deafness
or any other number of conditions?????????
Are these people saying that only healthy, perfect children are allowed a public education? I think they are. Everyone else should be "home schooled" (and I have NOTHING against home schooling but not everyone can do it i.e. working parents)
I understand that anytime something is different it takes time to get used to. But these "adults" are teaching their children that they should have NO COMPASSION FOR ANYONE ELSE. It's all about ME, ME, ME!!! The girl has an illness. She's not asking to bring her pony to school because she can't live without it.
They are asking for hand washing and no treats so she doesn't get sick or die.
I'm deeply disturbed that parents would protest a first grade child with food allergies.
SHAME ON YOU!!
How about the old adage "Walk a mile in another man's shoes"?
I hope one day if you people need compassion, someone shows you much more than you showed this small child.
Edited to add:
Since I posted this (like 10 minutes ago) there was a twitter movement chastising CH13 about the wording on the poll. They have since changed the wording to:
Do you agree with the school district’s response to the student’s peanut allergy? I guess they saw the error of their way and didn't want to ostracize every family with a child with a medical condition.
11 comments:
This story makes me SO very angry. As a parent of a child that has a medical condition...it is very possible that some day, my child might vomit in class...BUT be perfectly fine to stay in school. I shudder to think of the backlash the school, and I, will face...should some kid go home and say "M threw up in school, and came back to class"
So, should she be homeschooled? Maybe, but not for that reason.
I truly hope none of these selfish parents ever faces having a child with special needs (and they aren't out of the woods...things can happen at any time) No one can know what it's like to have a child with a chronic medical condition, unless they have one. They can't imagine the fear of sending a child to school, where no one can protect them like you do.
I'll tell you, I miss being able to send cupcakes into school for birthdays...but I UNDERSTAND why I can't.
I wish just ONE of those parents would think about how their CHILD would feel, if they were responsible for a classmates death (even indirectly...because they had a peanut butter toast for breakfast) It's not just about HER..it's about those kids too.
OMG! This is unbelievable! That poor child. Imagine having these fears day in and day out, and now the other kids and their parents hate you for it. That poor child!
Sending my son to school was frightening - peanut, tree nut and egg allergies. I can't imagine if he was as allergic as this 1st grader. I would've been horrified, and probably too scared to send him.
What happened to inclusion and rights of the disabled? If the child was in a wheel chair, they wouldn't protest wheel chair accessibility. How is this any different?
This makes me so sad :( I feel so bad for that family. I cannot even imagine being that little girl and pulling up to the school this morning and see those protesters. And the poor parents. I cant believe that many parents would be so upset by the new rules that they would protest, seems like a good example of group think. Maybe the school should get some allergy information together to send home to help educate the families.
Poor little girl and family :(
The niece's school in Chicago was peanut free on their school meal offerings (not certain if peanut free altogether.) They offered Sun Butter on their lunch menu. Frankly, I was impressed. One step forward, right?
We've dealt with 2 different food allergies 2 different years K- has been educated. (1 in preschool at age 3 and 1 in kindergarten.) I taught K- the proper way of dealing with things and did not send peanut butter in her lunch to keep the one little boy safe. The other was allergic to milk, so I made certain that the Valentine treat was completely milk free. It isn't that hard. (Well, it can be depending upon, but still . . .) People do need to teach their children compassion, but I don't believe it will ever happen since people are so busy living in a world that they believe revolves around them. That is why they would be so ignorant as to protest a child's food allergies. It isn't like she did something stupid. She is afflicted with a food allergy. A deadly one. Where did the idea of equal opportunity go?
And no, homeschooling shouldn't be an expected must for children with food allergies or any other health affliction. Again with equal opportunity. Parents with children with food allergies pay taxes right along with everyone else and they have every right to take advantage of that same education that everyone else does. It's not "Each one teach some" it is "Each one teach one."
As the parents of this little girl that is all over the media and internet, we can not say how much we appreciate and need support right now. Fortunately our little girl is not aware of what is going on yet but soon will be. She fortunately was home sick when the protest initially started yesterday. We kept her home today because of the protest. Emotionally it is a struggle we will not lie. More so though not only our child will and has been affected by this but also all the children at this school and every child with an allergy. Thank you Thank you from the bottom of our hearts to every one who has reached out to our family. It is very much needed and appreciated.
My child has almost all the same accommodations as this child. I don't think this level of sensitivity is as rare as some people might think. I have long believed many parents don't advocate strongly enough for fear of backlash, though one could not possibly fathom the reality of this actually happening to this extent. (Makes one vile woman at my school look like a girl scout). There are no words to describe the atrocity perpetrated on this little girl. So many things went wrong here and I hope that those responsible will be held accountable civilly or legally for all of the harm they've done.
Another allergy mom
I am so sad right now as I read this. These kids go through enough, as do the kids with other medical conditions. My prayers to this family.
As a mother of a four year old severely allergic daughter I am terrified of attempting to send her to a normal school. My daughter is anaphylactic to milk, peanuts, tree nuts, fish shell fish, eggs and wheat. All I want is for my daughter to go to school like a normal child and now I think it is nearly impossible. I work very hard and I pay taxes faithfully. So why shouldn’t the school accommodate my child. Yes, I think the requirements are a little harsh but necessary. Do you know how scary it is to even send your child to school know they might not come home? Financially I am not in a position to home school my child. What am I to do? My daughter is very bright and she doesn’t have a learning disability. Why should I seclude her from other children. I have no idea what I am going to do with my child for kindergarten. She is currently enrolled in a medical daycare but they only go up to preschool. I just think everyone should have more compassion for certain circumstances as it is scary living everyday like this. My daughter doesn’t go to the park, go trick or treating, go to birthday parties or even ride a bike outdoors. The least I can do is send my child to school and not continue to keep her in a bubble hidden from society. I just ask that everyone have some compassion and look at it from the eyes of a smart four year old who cannot wait to go to school. How can I deny my child the right to learn?
I'm more worried that protesters at a school think "Happy Median" is correct.
To these parents and the parents of all allergic children- you have my sympathy!
I'm so sick of the egocentric backlash. It's ridiculous so many parents get so upset over such little changes. So what if someone has your kid wash their hands or wait until they get home to eat pb&j? Is your child going to die from it? Is it going to alter them so much they can't grow into a happy adult? Then what's the complaint? It's not a personal threat or an infringement of your civil rights.
Ever hear the words 'compulsory education?' Means the child is required by law to be educated. Guess who funds the schools? Everybody! Including families with allergic children. So allergic kids have as much right to be there as any other kid. And to be safe. Just like your kid.
People just don't 'get' it. They think parents with food allergic kids are overreacting, hovering, making a big deal over nothing. I doubt anybody would protest keeping poisonous reptiles, or guns, or cyanide out of schools. Not any different people. Except that maybe food allergies just don't directly threaten YOUR kid.
Enjoy your peanuts or whatever else at home, wash your hands, show some compassion for the kids. The way you react teaches your children the value of another individual's life. They CAN'T take care of themselves, they are too young. That's why it's our job as adults. And your kid isn't the only one somebody cares about.
I'm sorry, I'm usually much more even keeled than this. I'm just done with arrogant, self-absorbed people who think it's their God-given right to put their own trivial conveniences ahead of a child's life.
My peanut, treenut allergic 4th grader is doing a report on this story. Will be presented to her peers. Not sure where it will lead (her being hurt, educating others, ...), but hopefully some good will come of it.
Hope all turned out ok for the family of the food-allergic girl here. It broke my heart to see the signs people were holding during the protests (as typical with those who are blissfully empathy-free, complete with grammatical errors). I hope it was as much a mis-communication from the school to the community, as anything else.
Best to the family put through this horrible situation, and hope from it, others can be spared.
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