Laws they are a Changin'

We are switching things up a little this week with our Food Allergy Awareness week. Today, I am praying for a positive step in the direction of protecting those children with food allergies, both known and unknown. You see, this evening, the Chicago Public School Board is meeting. But Kim, you say, you don't live in Illinois, let alone Chicago. Nope, but this meeting is vital to the future of food allergy awareness.
As I have mentioned before, there is current legislation in the Senate that would not only allow schools to have non-student appointed Epinephrine pens, but also to be able to use those pens on students who do not have known allergies. The state of Illinois is being a frontrunner in protecting the students of their state with food allergies. The governor signed a state law this past summer allowing all districts to stock EpiPens and authorizes school officials to give that shot to any student suffering a severe allergic reaction. ANY STUDENT!! Chicago Public Schools is planning to start stocking up on those injectors if they are able to pass the new policy this evening. This comes as no surprise since the law was in response to the 2010 death of Chicago Public Schools student Katelyn Carlson, who had an allergic reaction to peanuts during a school party.
It would be an injustice not to speak of Katelyn and the sacrifice that is affecting so many food allergy students' lives. You see, Katelyn was celebrating with the other seventh-graders just before Winter break with a meal from a Chinese restaurant. The teacher followed all of the precautions. Made the phone calls to the restaurant to make sure the food would not include peanuts. As the students sat down to enjoy their food, Katelyn's friend noticed that she was struggling to breathe. It turns out the food was cooked in peanut oil. While some with a peanut allergy do not reaction (as Katelyn's friend also suffers a peanut allergy and did not have a reaction), some do. Katleyn passed away from eating the Chinese food. CPS learned a lesson in all this... They want to protect their students!
The district is looking to spend $195,000 to provide 4 to 6 EpiPens in each school for the district, as well as training in the use of these injectors. But there is another part of their policy that hits hard in our home. Students will also be allowed to carry and self-administer their own Epi-Pens with the written approval of a parent or guardian. Did you notice, no doctor!! Every year, we struggle with the doctor to sign the papers allowing Owen to carry his pen. It's not that he doesn't need to. It's that the doctor does not want to take responsibility for another First grader getting a hold of that pen and doing something stupid. Kids are kids. We understand that, but when it comes to my sweet boy's life or death I have to fight this battle every year.
Today, I am asking for prayer for the CPS board of education, that they might pass this policy and protect other children. Their lead could make the difference throughout the country, including in my state. :-)