As soon as a person with food allergies steps foot outside their home, everything changes. I often feel that one of the biggest challenges we face is the fact that food allergies effect EVERYONE! Any person who comes in contact with someone who manages food allergies and anaphylaxis, in one way or another, are going to become willing or unwilling participants. I used to try to make my kid’s food allergies my problem only. This is my issue to champion, but no matter how I sliced it, I still needed my village to join in since they were impacted too. Schools, churches, workplace, sports teams, restaurants, stores and even special events like weddings need to address the risk of a medical emergency taking place if they don’t become part of the process to create a safe environment. So, if life threatening food allergies effect everyone then why is that “everyone” is not on board?
image courtesy of Andy Newson via Freedigitalphotos.net
This has been on my mind for a long time now. We all work hard to educate those around us and get them “on board”. Sometimes it’s a struggle to be honest. Some folks are angels and dive right in to understand and make changes while others are nightmares who challenge and fight us all the way. Maybe, just maybe, the missing link is how we present our needs?
image courtesy of jscreationz via freedigitalphotos.net
New Approach
I’ve started approaching everyone who has contact with my two food allergic children differently. Instead of apologizing (that ended after listening to Sloane Miller’s-a.k.a. Allergic Girl, fabulous approach), I ask for their support-as a community- since this disease is one that effects everyone! The community has the ability to impact the outcome–which is saving a life. I took this new method out for a spin and it was met with open arms.
School Community
I approached my son’s new headmaster for his school, (he is attending a private school, so the principal is referred to as a head master–love that term, makes me giggle), to discuss food allergies and how they effect the school community. In the past, I’ve met with principals, teachers, etc to discuss my child specifically, this time I met the head of the school to discuss the entire community. Of course, I met with the proper staff regarding my child’s specific needs. The headmaster was anxious to discuss food allergies, the rise in prevalence and how Sage Ridge School could address this growing disease within the school community.
Come on board!
The result of a wonderful conversation is that school wide events involving food will be follow a simple nut aware (no nut) policy in the spirit of reducing risk, all students will be shown food allergy and anaphylaxis videos and teachers will lead discussions with vetted talked points. Lastly, Sage Ridge School has offered their facilities and free in-house child care for our local food allergy and asthma parent education group to host a live bi-coastal teleconference lecture with Sloane Miller. Sage Ridge School wants to be active community members supporting everyone who manages food allergies: students, faculty and visitors.
Hope
I’m keeping my fingers crossed that within a few months I will look back and enjoy how much this small school community has embraced life threatening food allergies beyond my child. I even received a wonderful article that school administrators had found online about managing students with food allergies. They are serious and have been seeking resources beyond my own suggestions. How lovely is that?
One of the hardest things I find about managing both life threatening food allergies and asthma is talking to others. I hate to be the one that might be perceived as demanding, pushing or for asking too much. What I now know, fourteen years later, is that honest, clear information presented with kindness works!..
I love your approach! You are definitely a champion for all those who have food allergies. Thank you.
Kathryn,
We are all champions for sure. I wonder what this disease will look like in 20 years from now. I keep trying to imagine polio, before the cure was found and what it felt like.
Hum…. well, have a fantastic weekend.
Hear, hear!
I think you’re completely right. It’s about protecting the entire community, not just my child with nut allergies. We need to protect the children who have undiagnosed food allergies and we also need to protect the other children & teachers from the trauma of witnessing a dangerous allergic response.
Gabriellle, absolutely! I can’t image what the staff at the school where Ammaria Johnson passed are dealing with right now. The emotional toll has to grave and devastating.
When my daughter was first diagnosed, a friend in the mental health care industry explained that she was worried about my daughter’s classmates and if something went terribly wrong. She said that people do not think of that.
Thanks for sharing! Have a great weekend!
Skills have come a long way since my 14 year was in Kindergarten and the NURSE wanted to keep the epipen LOCKED in her office. Regardless, we must remain advocates until everyone understands that this disease is life threatening so parents of children yet to be diagnosed can focus on their kids instead of spending time and energy fighting for their right to remain safe at school.
Eileen, you are right things have changed over the years for the better, but it would be lovely to keep our focus on education and not fighting every little step of the way. The part that gets hairy is that sometimes we fight our own. I’ve seen parents of food allergic children not advise the school of their child’s disease, provide Epi Pens, etc. We have a long way to go, but thankfully we have our community to rely upon.