Saturday, June 11, 2011

Anaphylactic Reactions and Teenagers

Wow! I just watched this video on YouTube, and am somewhat speechless.  It's part of the The Anaphylactic Allergy Podcast Series (104) and features a high school student that had no history of a peanut allergy until age 15 when she got sick just walking into a Thai restaurant and smelling peanuts.  She's had numerous reactions requiring the administration of an EpiPen.  When she does come in contact with peanuts or the smell of peanuts, her lips swell to the point they crack and bleed and her face swells so that it peels.  Swelling in her throat follows sometimes causing her to black out.

A standing ovation should go to the Palos Verdes High School administration for requiring a peanut free school in order to keep her safe.  They even went so far as to require all of the students in her classes to sign a statement that they understood that there was to be severe repercussions if they brought peanuts to school.  Instead of protesting, the students took this teenager's safety to heart and did everything they could to look out for her.  It can work!  Maybe the school in Florida where parents were asking that the 1st grader with the severe peanut allergy be removed from school should take notes!