Dear Readers

Sorry for my outburst. I know that some of you do not like to read profanity so I would like to apologize for that.

I am continually amazed at people's ignorance and inconsiderate behaviour towards food allergies. I do know that if I did not have a child with a food allergy (nevermind two children!), I would not be as well versed to what they can or cannot have or about cross-contamination issues. However, I know I would definitely have compassion for them. Imagine how carefully they have to live their life, knowing that just one bite could kill them. The trust that they need to have before taking just one bite. Trust that the labels on food are correct. Trust that someone did not forget to mention that the item to which they are allergic is not present in their food. Trust that the person who is shaking their hand did not have that allergen on them. And think of the trust that a child must have. A child who, although he can now read, must still look to others for reassurance that a food offered to them is safe for them to eat.

This past week has been a disappointment for us in this way. The classroom function with the peanut butter cookies, the lack of warning about peanuts on the notice about the luncheon today, that hag with her precious peanut dessert...all reinforces just how much we have to fight for Jax every.single.day. It is exhausting. It is frustrating.

But there are some triumphs.

I was speaking to the school psychologist the other day in my pursuit to get a 504 Plan* in place for Jax for the next school year. She told me that Jax was a great advocate for himself and gave me an example of when he had asked that a certain food item be removed from a Leadership class because he suspected it had peanuts. Another triumph was when an acquaintance told a certain hag that just being around peanuts could possibly kill him. And when Dex told me that he will never eat peanuts, even when he is a man, because he doesn't want to ever put Jax in any harm.

So, off to battle another day in our small, personal war on peanuts. And hope that there are no casualties along the way.


* Section 504

No otherwise qualified individual with a disability...shall, solely by reason of his or her disability, be excluded from the participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance."

Section 504 of the rehabilitation act of 1973

Section 504 is a civil rights law. To meet the criteria for Section 504 protections, a child must...
- have a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities;
- have a record of such impairment, or
- be regarded as having such an impairment.
Under Section 504, a plan may be developed to assist students with disabilities that require accommodations in order to access the general education program.

What is a Major Life Activity?

Major life activities include: walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, learning, working, caring for oneself, and performing manual tasks.