Shane and Andrew Callahan suffer life

Shane and Andrew Callahan suffer life-threatening allergies,
prompting their mother, Susete, to seek tougher rules at school.
(Milton Amador photo)

Schools scramble to manage allergy issues
By Rick Holland / Daily News Staff
Tuesday, October 25, 2005

BELLINGHAM -- With policies in place at schools throughout the country to help protect kids from being killed by bombs and bullets, the Bellingham Public Schools lack a comprehensive, uniform policy to prevent death from life-threatening allergies.

The problem does not stem from a lack of desire to keep kids safe, but the absence of a person with medical training to write, propose and push a policy for adoption by the School Committee.

"There's no delineated policy for (life-threatening) allergy management district wide," said William Vitale, the school nurse at Clara Macy Elementary School. He said the schools all operate under similar "guidelines" or practices when it comes to managing and reacting to allergies, but added the town's corps of six school nurses want a uniform policy.

"We've all sat down and said we want to write the policy, but how do you do that? We'd have to leave buildings bare (without nurse coverage) during such a meeting," Vitale said.

Still, the lack of a district wide policy represents a major concern for Patrick and Susete Callahan, parents of two kids who collectively are allergic to everything from balloons to peanut butter.

"A practice is a verbal (assurance)...but once it becomes a policy it's more permanent," said Patrick Callahan. Staff turnover is a special concern, because a practice used by a certain nurse or school principal may not be continued under successors.

"A policy becomes a part of school handbooks that everyone is bound to follow, no matter who the staff and administrators are," said Callahan.

School staff have also been unable to receive official training on how to recognize and deal with the effects of life-threatening allergic conditions for the past four or five years, ever since permission to do so by the state was not renewed.

At issue is obtaining a waiver from the state's Department of Public Health, which grants permission for school districts to train non-nursing staff in the technique to administer epinephrine, a drug that acts quickly to counter the effects of anaphylaxis.

Anaphylaxis is a potentially deadly collection of allergic reaction symptoms "the most dangerous of which include breathing difficulties and a drop in blood pressure or shock," according to the Food Allergy Network.

"The district's waiver from the state lapsed a few years ago," Vitale said. "We could not train staff officially while the waiver has been lapsed (but) that doesn't mean we don't have staff with the knowledge they need to act."

Recently, an application for a new waiver was approved by the superintendent and School Committee, but Vitale said he doesn't anticipate hearing back from the DPH on its status until early December.

"It's important because in some cases, EMTs can't get here fast enough to save some kids," said Vitale. "If we teach staff then we can treat kids immediately."

Policy setting, which is the responsibility of the School Committee, is something for which the Callahans -- and other parents of kids with life-threatening allergies -- will have to wait. The concerns raised by the couple have been referred to the School Department's Health and Safety Committee. The committee has no date scheduled for its next meeting, according to school officials.

In defining the role of schools to prevent and manage life-threatening food allergies, the first item listed in a DOE guide states: "School districts should develop policies and protocols regarding the care of students with life-threatening allergies."

The absence of formal allergy response seminars for staff in Bellingham's schools also appears to flout a DOE recommendation that all school districts provide such training to faculty twice each year.

The Callahans' oldest son, Andrew, has a particularly pernicious latex allergy, making items as innocent as balloons potentially lethal. Last spring, the family fought and won a battle with Bellingham's Public Library trustees and staff to prohibit balloons from being allowed in the library.

A "practice" to eradicate latex from the South Elementary School has worked well enough during Andrew's tenure there, but he's set to enroll at the Middle School next year. From their experience with the library, the Callahans say they are starting now to lobby for policy-driven safeguards at the Middle School, with the hope they will be in place by the start of school next year.

"We intend to use discrimination laws to protect Andrew now, rather than waiting," said Callahan. Should the Middle School decline to adopt strict safeguards prohibiting the use of latex materials in the building, the Callahans said they are ready to cite sections of the state constitution and federal law.

"We're simply looking to make sure Andrew is granted freedoms that other people have...if that means not using latex balloons and gloves, it's not too much to ask," Callahan said.

The Callahans anticipate being hit with criticism that their advocacy could remove the freedoms of many kids without serious allergies, to accommodate the needs of the few who are threatened, for example, by the presence of peanuts.

"To think about balancing that choice against a life-and-death situation is what we're asking for," said Callahan.

As for the handling of food allergies, elementary schools in Bellingham currently provide for peanut-free classrooms and have peanut-free tables in cafeterias. Susete Callahan said that's a start, but is pushing to eradicate peanuts from the town's elementary schools in the future.

Her younger son, Shane, is one of an estimated 1.5 million people in the United States who live with peanut or tree nut allergies, which cause "the most severe food-induced allergic reactions," according to statistics published by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

"There are peanut-free schools in Massachusetts," she said Susete Callahan. "If they can all do it, why can't South Elementary?"

Rick Holland can be reached at rholland@cnc.com or 508-634-7505

Officials to set date for allergy meeting
By Danielle Williamson / Daily News Staff
Wednesday, October 26, 2005

BELLINGHAM -- School officials last night told the father of two children with severe allergies they soon would set a date for a meeting about establishing written policies to protect students from life-threatening allergens.

"Students aren't unsafe in the school building," said William Vitale, the school nurse at Clara Macy Elementary School. "We know how to act; we have action plans, but a formal policy is still in development."

Patrick and Susete Callahan, who have one son at South Elementary School and another son who will enroll there next year, have been outspoken in their efforts by pressing officials to create a district wide policy related to allergy management.

Patrick Callahan attended last night's meeting to inquire about the status of information he provided the committee two meetings ago about recommendations and guidelines for such a policy.

Their older son, Andrew, has a severe latex allergy; their younger son, Shane, is allergic to peanuts.

Last spring, the Callahans fought and won a battle with the Bellingham Public Library trustees and staff to keep balloons from being allowed in the building.

They have extended their battle to the schools, which they believe should follow state guidelines by establishing policies and protocols regarding the care of students with life-threatening allergies. School officials last night told Callahan they have referred the matter to the School Department's Health and Safety Committee.

Superintendent T.C. Mattocks said Callahan's literature has been distributed to building principals.

School Committee Chairman Stephen Patrick said he would contact Callahan with the time, date and location of the subcommittee meeting, which he expects will be arranged by the School Committee's meeting next month.

Vitale said the state Department of Public Health has approved a waiver that allows school districts to train staff on how to handle allergic reaction situations according to state standards.

"Dozens of schools in Massachusetts are already implementing these policies," Callahan said before the meeting. "I just want (the district) to match the seriousness of (my son's) allergies with their actions."

Danielle Williamson can be reached at 508-634-7552 or dwilliam@cnc.com.