Back in August, CNN profiled Kyle Graddy, a nine-year-old boy from Hoover, Alabama who has a peanut allergy. Among other things, he wasn't able to go to his first baseball game until earlier this summer because being exposed to just a little peanut residue can kill him. Well, last week Kyle traveled to Washington to lobby for stronger food allergy guidelines.
We want Congress to make a new law that would help us not to worry as much about our food allergies and stay safe.
I think it is important for the kids with food allergies to speak with the senators and congressmen because we can tell them what it is like to live with the food allergies and how hard it can be to feel safe at school when there are no real guidelines for anyone to follow.
Looking at him, I have to admit, I see myself at 14. The kid seems to be really savvy. Granted, he met with only Repubs--Richard Shelby and Mike Rogers (though I'm surprised he didn't meet with his home district congressman, Spencer Bachus). But food safety is something that should never, ever be partisan.
Kyle was in town to lobby for the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Management Act. It's currently got 45 cosponsors in the House (it shows only 44 on Thomas, but Rogers said he'll cosponsor) and 28 in the Senate. It would set up voluntary guidelines to help schools protect kids with food allergies. Kyle explains the benefits.
The guidelines would make school much easier for teachers, school nurses, principals, parents and kids with food allergies. Moms and dads would not have to start over each new school year teaching the school teachers, principals, and nurses how to keep their children with food allergies safe in a new classroom.
At the beginning of the school year, the school would know that a child has an allergy and would also know exactly what to do for the child to be safe.
Also, when I change schools from elementary to middle school, the new school would be prepared for my food allergies.
With national guidelines, I would also be safer at school if my family had to move to another state, because the guidelines would be the same.
Long, long, long overdue, I say. As someone who has a close friend with an allergy to eggs, I'm gonna be watching this pretty closely.