Look at the video about a milk allergy in regards to a MCDonald's lawsuit. The two woman made me so angry about how they thought of food allergies. Please watch the video send an email to NBC.com to tell them your feelings.
MSNBC
Posted on: Mon, 08/13/2007 - 4:34am
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I rarely write letters but did this time - they should know better (or at least do some very basic research)to not equate food allergies with intolerances that "might cause a stomachache".
This is what I wrote to MSNBC.
[url="http://video.msn.com/v/us/msnbc.htm?f=00&g=b6676676-f874-49da-a53c-aa0a5bc8cdb4&p=Source_MSNBC&t=m5&rf=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/&fg="]http://video.msn.com/v/us/msnbc.htm?f=00...bc.msn.com/&fg=[/url]
I am a parent of a child with severe food allergy. The commentator and Susan Filan are very misinformed about the seriousness of DAIRY ALLERGIES. They can be deadly! If they are not experts on the issue they had business speaking about it in a joking manner. Lactose intolerance is not the same medical issue as a dairy allergy.
allergic reaction : An anaphylactic reaction may begin with a tingling sensation, itching, or a metallic taste in the mouth. Other symptoms can include hives, a sensation of warmth, wheezing or other difficulty breathing, coughing, swelling of the mouth and throat area, vomiting, diarrhea, cramping, a drop in blood pressure, and loss of consciousness. These symptoms may begin within several minutes to two hours after exposure to the allergen, but life-threatening reactions may get worse over a period of several hours.
People who have lactose intolerance have trouble digesting lactose, a type of sugar found in milk and other dairy foods. Lactose intolerance does not mean you are allergic to milk, but you will probably feel bad after drinking milk or eating cheese, ice cream, or anything else containing lactose
When you put that broadcast on the web site you need to be held responsible for what information you present to the public. You have made the job of taking care of someone with allergies more harder. If someone saw that segment they are not going to take the information on food allergies serious especially a milk allergy.
I am totally infuriated at the tone the segment took. Unless you are a person or a caregiver of someone that has food allergies you really don't understand the ramifications that a bite of food could be.
The comment about the medical bills being only 700 something dollars was inappropriate. The reason why the bill was only that amount is the hospital probably gave him a shot of epinephrine and then observed him for a few hours. Which is the coarse of treatment done when someone presents themselves as having an allergic reaction.
I truly hope you air or post an apology for you lack of judgment and the women are held responsible for the lack of empathy that they showed to the world. My feelings on the lawsuit or anybodies opinion is an issue that was totally separate for the segment that was aired. They should only have talked about McDonalds copability from putting cheese on a burger that they were told repeatedly not to add.
Sincerely,
Sheri Warsofsky
[email]sheri277@aol.com[/email]
Thanks for pointing it out- I also sent an email to MSN, and sent the video link to FAAN as well. Sometimes they will contact stories/people/"issues" like these with some facts.
Thanks again!
[This message has been edited by PennMom (edited August 13, 2007).]
At the very end she said SHE has dairy allergy--clearly, she doesn't.
Dealing with food allergies is a hard enough job--sending misguided information into the world isn't helpful.
wow, i couldnt watch the entire interview. that lawyer made me so mad.
a gee... a dairy allergy just gives you a stomach ache!
to angry to write about this.
stupid people make me mad!
erin
UGGHH!!! Ok, as a nurse and one that reads charts daily for lawyers this lawyer has no concept of the reality and severity of this. Yes, somethings she said "contributory negilence" etc are correct. HOWEVER... what anger me was the facial expression on "how sick can one get on a piece of cheese" and to minimize any allergy was a mistake. I think FAAN needs to follow this one up immediately and get the word out there, because what's next McDs and others will start to be negligent and just as stupid as this so called educated female
FAAN knows about the broadcast. My cousin who has children with Dairy allergies called them and their response was for the public to voice there contempt. They didn't know if they could make any difference in what happened. All I can say is we all know how food allergies affect our lives. And for someone to belittle how severe they can be really makes me angry. So if you are also angry please write to MSNBC and tell them too.
These women were awful acting! I emailed the show. I also sent the story to everyone that works by my side on food allergies. They are writing the show as well.
Quote:Originally posted by sheri277:
[b]FAAN knows about the broadcast. My cousin who has children with Dairy allergies called them and their response was for the public to voice there contempt. They didn't know if they could make any difference in what happened.[/b]
Exactly what IS FAAN good for, if not for situations like this? They should be our voice! They should advocate FOR us!
Cathy
Here's what I wrote to MSNBC:
Quote:
Dear MSNBC:
As a parent of two children with severe allergies, I was shocked at the irresponsible reporting and flippant attitudes of your reporter and attorney Susan Filan on the news segment regarding the McDonald's milk allergy lawsuit.
If your reporters had done any research at all, they would have learned that severe milk allergy can be fatal in minutes. It is NOT equivalent to lactose intolerance which is a completely different medical condition involving the inability to digest lactose.
When a respected news organization such as MSNBC disseminates this type of misinformation everyone with anaphylactic food allergies is further endangered by the now misinformed public. It is a constant battle for our family to have our children's dangerous allergies taken seriously. You need to air a retraction and a correction of this misinformation immediately. Milk allergies CAN kill! Do the research!
Cathy
------------------
Mom to 8 yr old PA/TNA daughter and 4 yr old son who is allergic to eggs.
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