Forsyth County Battles Food Allergies with Ease

Having a child with food allergies is terrifying. Doug Hughes, of Cumming, knows this firsthand. His son Douggie had an undiagnosed allergy to shellfish rear its ugly head while on vacation in Florida several years ago.

"There were never any indications of allergies to shellfish in our families. He began swelling within minutes of taking just a bite of shrimp. The sheer reaction time was disconcerting and terrifying," Hughes said.

Sending children to school when they have this, sometimes severe medical condition, is enough to make any parent worry. Luckily, when it comes to food allergy awareness, the schools in Forsyth County operate like a well oiled machine.

Ann Moore, school nurse at , combats these potentially dangerous situations on several fronts.

"The process of accommodating children with food allergies begins with a Food Allergy Action Plan, completed by both the student's parent and pediatrician," said Moore. "From there, the student with the allergy is evaluated and proper action is taken to ensure the student is protected at all times in school and also during transportation to and from the school."

Student profiles in the cafeteria are labeled with alerts indicating which foods students may be allergic to, and when students bring their tray to the end of the serving line at lunchtime, the cafeteria workers check their profile alerts against the food chosen and placed on their tray. Students with tactile or inhalation-triggered food allergies are seated at a separate lunch table to avoid exposure to harmful foods.

All teachers are educated and informed on the proper administration of an EpiPen to an allergic child, and students are encouraged to carry one in their backpack at all times, as well as having an extra one on file with the nurse.

"I also train the bus drivers on administering the EpiPen, in case an emergency on the bus should arise. Teachers are notified daily on potential issues with both food and environmental allergies, to ensure everyone is well aware of a potential problem before it happens," added Moore.

In the private sector, schools take food allergies very seriously, and prepare the teachers as well as students for situations that could be dangerous for those students with allergy sensitivities. Larrie Trione, Administrator at on Post Road, puts parents at ease by keeping a medical box for each affected student on hand with EpiPens and other required allergy medications.

"We also keep a master list of all students with food allergies posted in the kitchen, and all of our classrooms that our teachers check against food prepared for lunch and snack," said Trione. "All of our teachers and staff are trained on the protocol for treating a child with a food allergy. Students are also aware of their classmates allergies and take pride in checking other students' foods to make sure their friends are protected. We have a great group here that truly cares about one another."

It appears that Governor Deal's proclamation of "Food Allergy Awareness Week" has brought to light the procedures already in place to protect our children at the school level.

"I feel extremely confident that my children are protected and safe when they are away from home," noted Hughes. "Keeping the school informed has helped ease my mind, and has made it so my son can focus on the matter that is most important--learning."