Normally in life I don't like to listen to gossip. When I hear what happened to so and so in such and such place, I usually turn my ears off. I just don't like "second hand" information. But since becoming the parent of a child with a peanut allergy, I make exceptions when it come to what has happened to others with a peanut allergy. I always listen, hoping I can learn something that will protect my little guy.
This week I began receiving physical therapy on my knee. On Friday morning I told my PT about Tyler's peanut allergy during our converstation. She told me about all of the children she knew that had the same problem. I was amazed she knew so many! Then she told me a story about her next door neighbors who have 2 PA children. (YIKES!!)
The family knew their son had a peanut allergy but did not think their daughter did. Doing what many families do this time of year where I live, they went to a Detroit Tigers baseball game. Since they knew the son was allergic to peanuts, they had him sit on Dad's lap. Their daughter had her own seat. No one was eating peanuts around them, thankfully. But during the game the daughter began breaking out in hives. Before they were able to get her out of the park, she began vomiting. They rushed her to the hospital. In the end, they found out she also had a peanut allergy.
What I found so interesting about this story was that no one was eating peanuts around them. The daughter must have ingested some residue from her chair. Many major league baseball parks are having special "peanut free" baseball games this summer. I even saw how one team is designating some sections "peanut free" on certain dates. I thought this was a wonderful idea and have considered writing to the Detroit Tiger to consider this, as well.
The problem, however, is not just the peanuts that are being consumed around PA kids. It is the microscopic residue that parents can't see. Unless the ball parks throughly clean every seat where a potential PA kid might sit, the "peanut free" games are not completely safe.
While this may not prevent me from ever allowing my son to attend a baseball game, it does make me think twice. If a PA kid does attend, bringing cleaning supplies might be the best way to make sure that a game truly is "peanut free."
Sound crazy? Maybe. Worth it? Absolutely!
photo courtesy flickr
Normally in life I don't like to listen to gossip. When I hear what happened to so and so in such and such place, I usually turn my ears off. I just don't like "second hand" information. But since becoming the parent of a child with a peanut allergy, I make exceptions when it come to what has happened to others with a peanut allergy. I always listen, hoping I can learn something that will protect my little guy.
This week I began receiving physical therapy on my knee. On Friday morning I told my PT about Tyler's peanut allergy during our converstation. She told me about all of the children she knew that had the same problem. I was amazed she knew so many! Then she told me a story about her next door neighbors who have 2 PA children. (YIKES!!)
The family knew their son had a peanut allergy but did not think their daughter did. Doing what many families do this time of year where I live, they went to a Detroit Tigers baseball game. Since they knew the son was allergic to peanuts, they had him sit on Dad's lap. Their daughter had her own seat. No one was eating peanuts around them, thankfully. But during the game the daughter began breaking out in hives. Before they were able to get her out of the park, she began vomiting. They rushed her to the hospital. In the end, they found out she also had a peanut allergy.
What I found so interesting about this story was that no one was eating peanuts around them. The daughter must have ingested some residue from her chair. Many major league baseball parks are having special "peanut free" baseball games this summer. I even saw how one team is designating some sections "peanut free" on certain dates. I thought this was a wonderful idea and have considered writing to the Detroit Tiger to consider this, as well.
The problem, however, is not just the peanuts that are being consumed around PA kids. It is the microscopic residue that parents can't see. Unless the ball parks throughly clean every seat where a potential PA kid might sit, the "peanut free" games are not completely safe.
While this may not prevent me from ever allowing my son to attend a baseball game, it does make me think twice. If a PA kid does attend, bringing cleaning supplies might be the best way to make sure that a game truly is "peanut free."
Sound crazy? Maybe. Worth it? Absolutely!
photo courtesy flickr