OK this is how mad I am. My eight year old just read the article and almost burst into tears. When you upset my son, you have hell to pay. He just e-mailed reaves also and gave her a piece of his mind. I'm not done with this one. Oh no. Somebody hold me back.

I received an almost immediate response from Jessica at 5:38 pm. Here it is:
~~~~~~
Dear Carolyn:
Thank you very much for your passionate and persuasive message(s). I very
much appreicate you taking the time to educate me about the very real
perils your daughter faces, and I assure you, my intent in writing the
peanut-allergy story was not to belittle your fears, but rather to call
attention to the problem of food allergies in the first place. I was simply
saddened by the fact that so many kids (including your own daughter) will
miss out on peanut butter sandwiches, which I so enjoyed, but I certainly
did not mean to undermine the efforts of parents like you who are forced to
deal with this potentially deadly allergy each day.
My apologies if the story came across as uncaring.
I think you're right -- schools should simply establish a no-peanut butter
rule. Better safe than sorry. And non-allergic kids can eat PB on the
weekends.
Thanks again,
Jessica Reaves
P.S. Does anyone know why PB allergies have increased so dramatically in
incidence and in severity?
~~~~~~
Just to let everyone know, I sent her a 2nd email outlining the various theories on why so many children have PA these days.
Did anyone else receive a response? I'd like to post my original email to her, but I'm afraid it wasn't a very "mad" one, LOL! I just pointed out that teaching other children to do without PB sandwiches to keep a minority of other children safe is a great, real, not abstract, lesson in compassion, among other things.
My DH was very upset with the article as well, stating that more people read the original article on a subject, than read the retraction printed later, once the author becomes more educated. I'll keep you posted if I get any more response to my 2nd email.

I justed emailed them with my thoughts, and after the anaphylatic reaction Morgan had 2 weeks ago, it's very fresh in my mind, and I'm sure my anger showed through. Also mentioned that maybe all those peanut butter and honey sandwiched inhibited her brain cell growth.
Liz

ROFL Liz!!! That's too funny.
I'm glad someone got a response. I mailed her at 5:43 and did not receive one (yet). The poor woman probably has an overflowing mailbox.
Miriam

I just sent off a LENGTHY email to the author, hoping to better educate her. I also directed her to this site for more info, and sent her a copy of an essay I wrote a few wks ago for myself about how peanuts used to be one of my most treasured friends, and have now become the enemy.
I have to say that I wasn't angry with her, frustrated yes, definetly! but not angry. I couldn't be because truthfully, 3yr ago, I was just like her. I couldn't understand it either. I too, took pb+j sandwhiches to school and never once saw (or even heard about) someone getting sick from pb. I didn't start hearing about it till a few years ago, and then I thought the same why. Why the big fuss over this?? NOW, of course, I understand. If I had done any research on the subject before Matt turned out to be PA, I would have understood then, too, but sadly, I didn't even think about researching it. I did what most people not affected by PA do... assume they know enough to make an informed opinion, without once giving thought to the possibility that they DON'T.
Now, please, nobody flog me for this confession, k? [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/smile.gif[/img] I do know better now, and am most assuredly "in this together" with every one of you!

I also just emailed the author. I know that before my PA daughter I was as ignorant as she is about allergies. Hopefully after all of our emails she will be more educated.
Shandra

Sent off my email too...

sent mine too...

I've sent mine and cc'd it to Time.com editor
at
[email]daily@timeinc.net[/email]
I would like to suggest everyone else who wrote forward a copy of their letters to the editor, if he/she is persuaded there is enough interest we may get halfway decent follow-up article.
If the author thinks we should have pn-free classrooms I want to see her say that in PRINT!
[This message has been edited by EILEEN (edited April 12, 2001).]

To all at peanutallergy.com:
It has come to my attention that a whole lot of you are extremely upset with me because of an article I wrote at Time.com. And yes, I did have a very full "in-box" when I came in to work today. Your mission, in other words, was accomplished.
I want to take this opportunity to apologize to all of you who took offense at my story. I admit freely that I did not realize just how serious a peanut allergy could be -- if I had, I would not have made light of the situation.
I am grateful to those of you who took the time to write to me and express (with any modicum of calm) your anger and/or frustration with my obvious lack of understanding. I learned quite a bit more after posting this article than I did while actually writing it.
Best,
Jessica Reaves