Living peanut-free can be challenging for families

By Theron Larkins
Special to the Pioneer Times
    LITTLETON, Maine — As winter approaches, we are nearing the end of what most consider to be the second allergy season. The pollen has been covered by the snow and ushered out by the brisk winter winds.For the average allergy-sufferer this is good news, but for some, allergies are not simply seasonal, but a lifetime hindrance.
To those who are allergic to foods, or even animals, allergy prevention can be more of a year-round job.
One local mother is taking the idea of allergy prevention one step farther. Tonya Fitzpatrick, a Littleton resident, is doing everything she can to make sure the Houlton Elementary School staff and its young students are aware of the dangers that can accompany certain allergies.
Tonya’s daughter, Taylor, who is now in fourth grade, has been dealing with a severe allergy to peanuts since she was an infant. When tested for this particular allergy she unfortunately scored off the charts, which means she and her family must be extremely diligent when it comes to watching what foods Taylor comes in contact with.
“Most people are very supportive, but some don’t understand the seriousness of it. I used to spend two hours at the grocery store just checking the labels of everything,” said Tonya.
Because Taylor’s peanut allergy is such a serious case she must always be wary not to come in contact with anything that could trigger an allergic reaction.
“It got to the point that she was afraid to go to school. At one point, Taylor even asked to be home-schooled,” said Tonya. “There were times when Taylor felt really left out. Before she could go to things like birthday parties, or even just to school, I had to make sure it was going to be peanut-free.”
The concern that Taylor and her mom shared would in turn lead Tonya and Taylor’s father, Jerrid, along with fellow parent, Linda Bellisle, to begin meeting with members of the Wellington Elementary School staff.
“Linda, who also has a child with a severe peanut allergy, was a very big advocate and had a wealth of information. We could not have done it without her,” said Tonya.
The main goal for Taylor’s parents was simply to spread awareness, while helping to establish a school where children with severe allergies can feel safe.
“It’s not that people don’t care – they just don’t know enough about these types of allergies. I printed off a lot of information to pass along to the school, and since then they have been great,” said Tonya.
At first, the school adopted the idea of having a peanut-free table in the lunchroom. However, this would not prove to be an effective method. Thanks to concerned parents and the new found information the school now has decided to make the school completely peanut-free. The school has even begun using a peanut butter substitute called Wowbutter, which is made from soy.
“Taylor still has to take antihistamines and uses an inhaler just in case, but the school has been a huge help overall,” said Tonya. “Early on, Taylor was so worried she was contemplating home schooling, but the moment I could finally tell her the school was going to be peanut free was priceless. She gave me a hug and said, ‘Now I can go to school and feel safe.’”
Taylor and her family are also researching the possibility of even more help through the use of a service dog. Service dogs are commonly used in the blind community, but using them as allergy alert dogs is somewhat new. The Fitzpatrick family was introduced to the idea by Kathy Hecht, who teaches classes for service dogs at University of Maine at Machias.
“The service dog will alert Taylor of any presence of peanuts that could trigger an allergic reaction. If the dog smells any type of peanut products it will warn her by sitting down. If she keeps going towards it the dog will pull her away,” said Tonya.
The dogs the family are currently looking into must go through an extensive training process for more than a year before being eligible to work as a service dog. The family would also have to travel to a week-long training course before acquiring a dog. The family is also considering training their own family dog to help Taylor around the house, but for an every day service dog the family may have to purchase from an outside source.
“We want to make sure the dog is non-allergenic. She’s allergic to peanuts, but we don’t want her to take it where there might be someone allergic to dogs,” said Tonya.
Taylor’s story has become popular enough that even local businesses are looking to aid in making her life just a little easier. Cari Hutchinson of The Pastry Corner, has begun to accommodate anyone in need of peanut-free pastries. To order these non-allergenic baked goods one must simply ask for the pastries to be “Taylor-made.”