Do People Not Take Allergies Seriously??
Do people not take allergies seriously?! A few days ago, a 7-year-old boy was returning home from a trip to Washington with his family when he began to have an allergic reaction to dogs. Without the appropriate allergy medicines on hand, the little boy began to break out with itchy hives. It turns out, there was a dog on board acting as a service animal, and the flight attendant informed the family with a smirk and a laugh that of course there would be dogs on most flights! The flight attendant did not show the concern that we would hope kids would receive while having an allergic reaction, but the most heartbreaking part of this story comes next. When the family was asked to leave based on advice given by emergency medical personnel, they politely agreed and got up to exit the plane. As they did, they were met with a round of applause. No, these passengers were not applauding a little boy for handling his allergic reaction well, or commending the family for remaining calm despite the frightening situation. This plane full of passengers was applauding the fact that a little boy who was probably terrified and nervous about what was happening was being removed from the flight, which brings us back to our original question…do people not take allergies seriously?!
Our team here at AllerMates is dedicated to spreading awareness about kids with food allergies and other health concerns, so this particular story really struck a nerve with us. We’re so passionate about protecting these kiddos, so we could not believe the news when we read that people think it’s acceptable to shame a little boy for his allergies!
When I read this story, I immediately imagined how I would have acted on the plane. Of course, being a mom to a food allergic son, I’m all too familiar with allergic reactions, so I would have shown concern, offered allergy medicines and helped in any way possible. Do people without a direct connection to allergies not have any compassion for those who suffer from them? Why would passengers choose to embarrass a 7-year-old boy and his family for something so obviously beyond his control? The boy’s father said that as they left the plane, his son was repeatedly apologizing to his family. Are we really living in a world where a 7-year-old boy feels the need to apologize for having an allergic reaction?
This story has just reaffirmed to me that there is still a long way to go when it comes to educating the world about kids with food allergies, environmental allergies…or any health concern for that matter! It also made me grateful for the thousands of parents, children, caregivers and educators who make up our incredible AllerMates community. Together, I’m confident that we can create a world where people are compassionate and understanding towards kids with allergies and other health issues!
Has your kiddo ever faced a situation similar to this? Share your story with us in the comments below!
xo
Iris
Iris Shamus Wife, mother to three awesome kids and founder/CEO of AllerMates. Based in New York, Iris and her team create helpful content, answer emails, ship their products and obsess every day about keeping kids safe.