Time to thank those who have kept your child safe and included this school year! We encourage families to take a moment and thank the teachers who have continued to help manage your child's allergies in their class. Each school will be celebrating in their own way, some with a week's worth of activities sponsored by the PTA/PTO/PTSO. If possible, try and take part in some of these activities with your children or even write a thank you note.
LAN would like to take this time to thank all the LCPS staff for their continued efforts to keep allergic students safe and included in all school activities. We acknowledge the difficult task and effort that goes into caring for a child with this life threatening disability. We hope that you will continue this effort for years to come. THANK YOU!
Well, can you subtract? Loudoun Allergy Network (LAN) is asking the public this very question. As an effort to raise food allergy awareness, this interactive campaign targets both teens and adults, and is an addition to LAN's Food Allergy Aware program. Participants are asked to avoid 1 of the top 8 allergens during Food Allergy Awareness Week, May 13-19, 2012. Then discuss the results on the interactive Participant Message Board.
Today, Virginia Governor, Bob McDonnell, signed the epinephrine legislation. This new law will require public schools in Virginia to adopt and implement policies to stock non-student specific epinephrine auto-injectors and identify appropriate trained staff to administer the life saving medication. Last week, a $200,000 budget passed to support the purchase of epinephrin auto-injectors for Virginia public schools during the 2012-2013 school year.
 New legislation has been signed by the Governor of Virginia to allow schools to stock non-student specific emergency epinephrine injections. The new law will assist in the treatment of anaphylaxis to individuals in school who is experiencing anaphylaxis due to a known or unknown allergy, whether to foods or insect sting. Up to 25% of epinephrine injection at the school setting involved individuals who had no prior history of allergies; first time experiences. Without this law, those individuals, with no prior history of allergies, would not be able to receive this life saving medication unless one was prescribed to them by a physician. In those cases, the individuals would wait for emergency medical personnel to arrive to the school to receive treatment for the reaction. With anaphylaxis, minutes, even seconds, count and can be the difference between life and death. For survivors, delayed treatment may result in permanent brain, kidney, or heart damage, from lack of oxygen (hypoxia)[1]. Loudoun Allergy Network Chairperson, Thanita Glancey, spoke with WTOP reporter, Neal Augenstein about the new law. Read the full text article here: http://wtop.com/?nid=120&sid=2823354A copy of the legislation can be found here: http://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?121+ful+SB656ER[1] MD Guidelines http://www.mdguidelines.com/anaphylactic-shock
UPDATED: To correct information: Reactions at school highlights the need for registered nurses in all schools. This statement, coming from the National Association of School Nurses (NASN), after a wave of news reports of near fatal and fatal reactions at school. In addition to full time registered nurses, the need for available epinephrine injectors. The NASN supports the use of non-patient specific epinephrine for use in school settings. "We never want to see a child suffer - our message at moments like this is the need for a school nurse in the building all day, every day and the need for available epinephrine auto-injectors," said NASN President Linda Davis-Alldritt, MA, BSN, RN, FNASN, FASHA. For more on this story: http://www.bradenton.com/2012/02/27/3904636/school-nurses-save-lives-with.html#storylink=cpy
Indiana parents, Erica and Ed, did everything "by the book". They informed their school of their child's allergy, providing the proper paperwork and medications. They even had a 504 meeting to implement accommodations for their child, which included transportation. However their son, a kindergartener, was left at the bus stop on the first day of school, as the school bus drove passed him. The bus driver refused to transport the student due to his peanut allergy, even after agreeing during the 504 meeting. His parents filed a complaint with the Office of Civil Rights, on the grounds of disability discrimination. After refusing alternate routes offered by the school board, the bus driver was finally terminated. The kindergartener is being transported by another bus driver. Erica and Dan's family endured personal hardships as a result of this long case. They never involved the media. This is the first article which included their point of view, and allowed to be publish given the trusted source. For more on the heartbreaking story, read the article by Onespot Allergy: http://networkedblogs.com/utBXQ
LAN would like to take a moment and congratulate the Loudoun County Public School (LCPS) Food Services Department on their achievement. The Food Services Department received 52 HealthierUS School Challenge Bronze Awards. According to the LCPS article, "The HealthierUS School Challenge was established to recognize those schools participating in the National School Lunch program that have created healthier school environments through promotion of nutrition and physical activity. Nationally, more than 2,800 awards have been presented to schools in 45 states. In Virginia, only 10 percent of schools have won this distinction". The awards were received by Jeffery Platenberg, Assistant Superintendent of Support Services and Jinny Demastes, Supervisor of Food Services. Ms. Demastes was instrumental in implementing and assisting safety measure for students with food allergies, to be able to eat cafeteria food safely, even attending a FAAN conference. We would like to congratulate Mr. Platenberg, Ms. Demastes, and the food services staff in this wonderful achievement.
A 5th grade student in Tennessee had an anaphylactic reaction after eating Valentine's Day candy he thought was safe. The staff reacted appropriately, administering the Epipen, and calling 911. As a food allergic community, we are so grateful to see emergency plans being followed. When prevention and risk reduction procedures fail, the proper reaction (following the emergency plan) can save a life. Follow the story here: http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120220/HENDERSONVILLE01/302200053
A Prince George County (PGC) 5th grader had an anaphylactic reaction at school during Valentine's Day. The Virginia student had bitten into a peanut filled candy. The school reacted appropriately, following his written plan administering the Epipen and taking him to the emergency room. The PGC incident underscores the importance of providing as much of a risk-free environment as possible for all students but especially for those with food allergies. View the news clip and read the article: http://www.wdbj7.com/news/wtvr-school-nurse-uses-epipen-to-help-fifth-grade-student-20120214,0,7061528.story
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