School Beat: Making School Safe for Kids with Severe AllergiesJessica Martinesbyline‚ Apr. 26‚ 2007My son, Nicholas, started kindergarten in the San Francisco Public Unified School District in the fall of 2005. Like most parents, I was overwhelmed by the process of choosing a school and then slightly terrified when school began. There was also the issue my son deals with on a daily basis: severe food allergies, many of which are yet to be identified. On the first day of school we arrived with medications and signed medical forms. I met with his teachers and afterschool caregivers, but I wasn’t sure they understood the severity of the situation. On the second day of school he began having allergic reactions. I was convinced he was going to be severely allergic to this new environment, and we would have to pull him out. |