Beyond a Peanut Giveaway Winner: Plus, the Whole Florida Peanut Allergy Protest Mess

After a random drawing, I'm happy to announce that Colleen Dabler is the winner of the Beyond a Peanut flashcard giveaway! Congrats to Colleen and please be sure to e-mail me at nut-freemom@sbcglobal.net with your address so we can send you your prize. Thanks also to all who entered. I hope you will consider purchasing these cards if you did not win--they are well worth the price. You can share them with teachers, daycare workers, family and friends.

This giveaway came at an opportune time for discussion about food allergy education because the need for education about food allergies has never been greater. Many of you have contacted me about the Florida peanut allergy protest regarding peanut allergy accommodations at an elementary school. The sad part of this saga is that it seems to me that education was lacking on both sides. I don't understand what happened there, other than not enough education and information was given to the parent population and it blew up in the face of the school, and, unfortunately in the faces of parents who only wanted to protect their severely allergic first-grader.

Certain routine procedures like hand-washing are a regular and easy part of preventing allergic reactions. Peanut sniffing dogs and mouth rinsing (stated as the proposed accommodations given by the Florida school) may raise a few eyebrows among people who know nothing about the seriousness of food allergies. And I'm not sure that most allergists would recommend those two features as part of a school's food allergy guidelines. Were the intentions good? Yes, of course. I feel for any parent of a first-grader. That is a scary time. They are at school all day for the first time and subjected to lunch routines. If you don't know what to expect, it can seem terrifying. I've been there and I've felt the fear. I get it.

We want to seem reasonable and rational when dealing with schools, even if we don't feel that way because, after all, this is the life of our kids we are talking about. Where is the happy medium? That answer will vary depending on your child's case and the school culture. No venue is ever going to be be 100% safe for an allergic person. Too many variables come into play. So you have to use reasonable accommodations to make a school safe enough for a child to attend.

I don't want any of you to be discouraged by the actions of a few Florida protesters who are uneducated about food allergies. These parents were clearly wrong in their actions and frankly, I'm glad this happened if only to expose food allergy hatred for what it is: ignorant. I doubt if only food allergy parents will make that judgement. I hope they will see themselves on TV and wonder if this is how they want their kids to view them--protesting the rights of a 6-year-old girl who didn't ask to be given a life-threatening food allergy. One sign I saw said "Our kids are Special too." I bet any kid with a life-threatening food allergy doesn't want to be "special" in this way. It's really special to be unable to eat your friends' birthday cake or Halloween candy from the neighbors, and be restricted from visiting an ice cream shop?? Not really.

Because of the ignorance and hate, wherever we go, we must make it our job to advocate and educate when you ask for food allergy accommodations, whether it be at school, with friends and family or even at a restaurant or on an airplane. Every small step you take does have a positive impact. I truly believe that.

As a wrap up, I'm including a link to an essay I contributed to the current FAAN newsletter. The title is, appropriately enough, "Dealing With Those Who Don't 'Get' Food Allergies."

Take heart, everyone, and hang in there!

Food Allergy News: Beyond a Peanut Allergy Cards Giveaway!

As promised, I have another exciting food allergy giveaway for readers of The Nut-Free Mom -- Beyond a Peanut educational flashcards!

I've long been a fan of "Beyond a Peanut." These handy, portable cards are the perfect tool for teaching adults and kids about nut allergies. Creator (and friend) Dina Cooper was kind enough to offer this special giveaway just for readers of The Nut-Free Mom. Thanks, Dina, for a great product that I personally use and benefit from.

Beyond a Peanut uses a color coded system to teach others about nut allergy safety and pitfalls.

Blue cards provide important food allergy safety information.

Yellow food allergy cards create awareness around items or situations that can present a danger for someone with food allergies. For example airplanes and bulk foods.

Green food allergy cards address foods or situations which are usually considered safe for a child with peanut and tree nut allergies. On the back are examples of situations that can make an environment unsafe or cross-contaminate a usually safe product.

Red food allergy cards address foods that have a greater risk for people with nut allergies. These cards offer alternative ideas and suggestions to ensure the safety of someone with a peanut or tree nut allergy.

These are great to share with preschool or elementary school teachers, grandparents, friends, other relatives--anyone who cares for your child with nut allergies.

How can you win? Simply post a comment on this blog between now and this Friday, March 11, that shares with us how you currently educate others about your child's food allergies. The winner will be selected by a random drawing and announced next week.

Also, don't forget to follow me on Twitter and my new Nut-Free Mom Facebook page for even more food allergy news and support from others dealing with nut allergies.

Good luck! I'm looking forward to hearing your stories!