Help! What would you do?

These are tough questions! Here's my 2 cents, for what they're worth.

Ultimately, you have to be comfortable with your decision! That's the most important thing. Your child's safety and your comfort with whatever choice you make.


On the spectrum of caution vs being laid-back, I know I am closer to the far end of caution. I am very cautious.Now, I know PA people fly all the time with no problems! I am aware of this, but the thing that bothers me about airplanes is this: an epipen buys you...what? 15 minutes? How fast can they get that plane down and get you to a hospital? That's my problem with it. I cannot take that risk. Wayyy to scary for me! But that is me, and that's my comfort level. Everyone is different and I can't say that what is right for me is right for you.


And 3 is sooo young and that's a lot flying. I definitely can understand not wanting to tack more flying time onto the trip. Just going grocery shopping with a 3 year old can be challenging! :)


Those are my 2 cents. It'd be great if someone with another view could give their 2 cents too. Guys? Ladies?


Jennifer B
www.foodallergybuzz.com

My feeling about this is that this shoul dbe covered by the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act, although I am not sure that it is. Businesses should be required to provide safe accomodation to passengers with disabilities. Severe food allergy is recognized as a disability. Therefore businesses should be willing to provide safe accomodation. What consitutes safe is of course subject to personal judgement, but at minimum all airlines should have the capacity to suspend the service of peanuts/treenuts for any given flight. If you do not have options I would discuss this with a manager and make it clear that you feel that they have a legal obligation to accomodate this disability. I would love to see what anyone with more legal insight has to say about this!

I'm not a lawyer but I remember reading that the whole "buffer zone" idea came about when peanut allergy families protested en mass a few years back. The Department of Transportation came up with the buffer zone idea. We have a little group on FB You Don't Need Nuts to Fly and are trying to gather support for a petition. It's a huge undertaking, but with a group, who knows? I am thinking of contacting local law schools to see if they would be willing to assist with this effort since our group has no money! If anyone knows a disabilities lawyer who would help pro bono, let me know.


One of our Facebook group members did raise the question with a Massachusetts disabilities lawyer and shared what she learned on our FB wall/page. If you are on Facebook, here's the link: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?sid=0aebe0864d5b2c8cf51d585a2587b8f0&g...


JenniferB
www.foodallergybuzz.com

I am going to have to agree with Jennifer here. We have flown before, but only with airlines that will not serve peanuts and are willing to make an announcement. I am thinking that you are contemplating between airlines that serve vs don't serve nuts.

As far as my level of caution, I have no choice, my son has an airborne allergy and has had two seperate airborne reactions. It amazes me that we still fly, but we have been very lucky to have airlines that have been wonderful at handling this for us and who do not serve peanut products. For the several years we have been flying, these strategies have worked out well. Even with all of these provisions in place I am always on guard until we deboard the plane.

We carry 8 epipens onflight and we are very diligent about wiping down the armrests, trays etc. You can also bring a cribsheet to cover the seat. My concern is the recirculated air in the cabin. If your child does have an airborne allergy and there are nuts being opened on board, it may be hard to avoid a reaction.

One other thought, there is an airline here in Canada that suggests prearranging oxygen for a fee. I don't know how commonplace that is but you could perhaps look into that (??) Whatever your decision, you know your child best.
Good luck and safe flying!!

Nicole
www.nutritionforyourcondition.com