Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Mom Wants school' Oak Trees Cut Down for Kids With (nut) Allergies
abcnews. ^ | Nov 14, 2012 2:44pm

Posted on 11/15/2012 9:07:17 AM PST by dennisw

Donna Giustizia, a mother of two, says the oak trees near her teenager’s school in Vaughan, Ontario, are a health hazard, and even though the school is nut-free, she says school administrators aren’t protecting their students.

“A false sense of security is putting a sign on the door that says ‘nut-free,’ and there’s nuts all over the place,” Giustizia told The Star.

Giustizia says the trees around St. Stephen Catholic Elementary School are a deadly threat for kids with anaphylactic food allergies — allergies that cause shock.

She appeared before the Vaughan, Ontario, City Council last week to plead for the removal of the trees, saying : “The acorns are not only presenting a risk to the tree-nut-allergic students, but it is also becoming a great cause of anxiety among all students with nut allergies.” Giustizia also said, according to The Star, that “acorns can also be used to bully and torment children.”

Giustizia, who heads the school’s allergy committee, says she’s not suggesting the entire town become nut-free, but she worries that acorns on the school grounds could trigger an allergic attack.

Dr. Clifford Bassett, medical director of allergy and asthma care at New York University, says he’s not familiar with any reports of children having an allergic reaction by playing with acorns off the ground.

“There’s no relationship between acorns and peanuts,” Bassett said. “If people have food allergies, they need to work with an allergist on prevention, avoidance and preparedness. People with food allergies need to be careful and have a plan.”

(Excerpt) Read more at abcnews.go.com ...


TOPICS: Society
KEYWORDS: allergy; nutcase
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-8081-98 next last
To: dennisw

Listen, lady, you’re going to find nuts everywhere on God’s green earth that you go, unless you are in the middle of the desert or above the arctic circle. So, train your precious one to stay away from them and leave our trees alone!


61 posted on 11/15/2012 9:58:04 AM PST by Boogieman
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: dinoparty

It is probably not the sterility of the homes but the lack of outdoor play too.

When Icame in every night from playing I was muddy or bleeding. Actually mostly both.

Kids now spend most of their time indoors playing with those stupid video games and watching cable.


62 posted on 11/15/2012 9:59:08 AM PST by buffaloguy
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 51 | View Replies]

To: I want the USA back

My aunt swore that my cousin was deathly allergic to dairy but my great grandmother gave it to him anyway and he was just fine.


63 posted on 11/15/2012 10:00:40 AM PST by cripplecreek (REMEMBER THE RIVER RAISIN!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 58 | View Replies]

To: dfwgator

And they grab up all the light.


64 posted on 11/15/2012 10:06:26 AM PST by ZirconEncrustedTweezers (Democrats are evil. Republicans are stupid.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]

To: dinoparty
However, there are some minimal things that can be done as a courtesy to the allergic person, without much inconvenience to the others. It angers me when people object even to these.

No sympathy from me. Why don't you demand a private place for all those with allergies instead of demanding the rest of the world live according to your needs?

65 posted on 11/15/2012 10:07:00 AM PST by raybbr (People who still support Obama are either a Marxist or a moron.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 50 | View Replies]

To: buffaloguy
"I have a question for everyone. Does anyone know of an adult who suffers from a peanut allergy?"

My prior supervisor is allergic to peanuts and shellfish.

When my daughter was 5 months old, we discovered that allergies to milk and soy were the cause of some severe health problems she had. The specialist who finally diagnosed it told us that eczema was one of the number one pre-disposers for childhood food allergies. Eczema runs rampant in my husband's family.

I couldn't believe the "stupidity" that we had to deal with, from family and friends who just didn't understand it. One person gave her buttered popcorn, and later gave her french fries without checking the ingredient label (they contained both milk and soy). At Thanksgiving last year, relatives didn't understand why she couldn't have most of what was on the table because they weren't making the "sour cream = milk", "butter = milk", "yogurt = milk", "whey = milk" connections. Once I had to start reading the labels on EVERYTHING, I was amazed at some of the products that had milk, that you wouldn't expect.

Luckily enough, she outgrew the soy allergy at 12 months and the milk allergy at about 17 months. Her daycare was great at handling it. Instead of asking other parents not to bring things in (for parties or whatever), they would put a permission slip on the door. All I had to do was read the ingredient list, say "NO", and then bring in something she could have instead. (Vegan cupcakes for birthdays, etc.)

66 posted on 11/15/2012 10:08:50 AM PST by cyphergirl (Not so proud to be in the Freak State)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 60 | View Replies]

To: sockhead

How sad. Oak is a sacred tree from ancient times.


67 posted on 11/15/2012 10:10:00 AM PST by kabumpo (Kabumpo)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: buffaloguy

I don’t get much of a reaction to poison Ivy aside from a little in the webbing between my fingers.


68 posted on 11/15/2012 10:11:15 AM PST by cripplecreek (REMEMBER THE RIVER RAISIN!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 62 | View Replies]

To: dennisw
Well, in this particular case, Glenn Beck is wrong. I worked with a guy who had a severe peanut allergy. He kept an epi-pen handy at all times.

I brought in a PB&J one time (before I knew about his allergy). He stopped by my cube on his way out the door, asked me to step outside, explained his issue, and (politely) asked me to refrain from PB again. As his eyes were already all red and puffy, and he was obviously in some, albeit slight, respiratory distress, I said "sure". Brought Ham, Tuna, etc....no more PB, and no more problems. Up until then, I would have agreed with Beck...figured that you had to eat the stuff to have an issue. So does this lady have a point? Maybe. But if her daughter is allergic enough to have a severe reaction to something as common as an oak, she'll need to learn (quickly) to adapt to it.....rather than asking the entire world to adapt to her.

69 posted on 11/15/2012 10:11:31 AM PST by wbill
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 52 | View Replies]

To: dennisw

I have a simple easy cheap solution to this nut case.

From this day onward, acorns shall to be referred to as “fruit”, not nuts. Any adolescent trying to bite into this freshly fallen off the tree “fruit” shall be referred to as “nut”.

From this day onward, “nut” shall loose its classification as a noun and shall retain its position as an adjective to describe a particular mind set.


70 posted on 11/15/2012 10:23:47 AM PST by 1_Rain_Drop
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: raybbr

You obviously have no ability to process what I said, you dull-witted man.


71 posted on 11/15/2012 10:28:33 AM PST by dinoparty
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 65 | View Replies]

To: dennisw
I have an alternative:


72 posted on 11/15/2012 10:28:42 AM PST by Yo-Yo (Is the /sarc tag really necessary?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: dennisw
Where did all this come from? I can't recall any kids with nut allergies when I was growing up?

Is this an urban thing?

73 posted on 11/15/2012 10:30:36 AM PST by SWAMPSNIPER (The Second Amendment, a Matter of Fact, Not a Matter of Opinion)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: dinoparty

Are you in a city? I wonder if there are as many farm raised kids with nut allergies.


74 posted on 11/15/2012 10:32:56 AM PST by SWAMPSNIPER (The Second Amendment, a Matter of Fact, Not a Matter of Opinion)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: buffaloguy

Is your implication that it must be exaggerated or fake? If so, you are wrong. Watch your young child be rushed to an emergency room as he turns blue, and tell me its fake.


75 posted on 11/15/2012 10:35:30 AM PST by dinoparty
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 60 | View Replies]

To: SWAMPSNIPER

that’s a good question. Don’t know, but would be interested in finding out.


76 posted on 11/15/2012 10:36:27 AM PST by dinoparty
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 74 | View Replies]

To: kabumpo
How sad. Oak is a sacred tree from ancient times.

Don't worry, I likely won't cut them down. Oak trees are wonderful and beautiful, but when then thick yellow pollen is coating everything outside and making it tough to breathe...I have unkind thoughts about them.
77 posted on 11/15/2012 10:36:57 AM PST by sockhead (Socialism: trickle up poverty.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 67 | View Replies]

To: subterfuge

I’ve got 5 acres of mixed trees. If someone moves out here with an allergy they can blow up and bust before I cut down a tree.


78 posted on 11/15/2012 10:37:14 AM PST by SWAMPSNIPER (The Second Amendment, a Matter of Fact, Not a Matter of Opinion)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 38 | View Replies]

To: buffaloguy

My son developed it at about 18 months, so outdoor play (or lack thereof) wasn’t all that relevant in our case.


79 posted on 11/15/2012 10:38:42 AM PST by dinoparty
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 62 | View Replies]

To: dennisw

Some may argue that the nation’s collective nuts have been removed a long time ago.

After all, a bunch of 7th century a$$holes invade sovereign US soil and kill 4 US citizens and a bunch of brave Libyan defenders and we do, literally, nothing about it. This after people on the ground having requested military help continually for several months prior, and during the actual firefight itself.

No more nuts: check.


80 posted on 11/15/2012 10:39:32 AM PST by RinaseaofDs (United States of America - the Empty Oak on the Hill)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-8081-98 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson