CLEARWATER, Fla. — Alicia Smith is prepared in more ways than one for heading back to school.
The teen is not only prepared for class, but prepared if her allergy is triggered.
“I have an allergy to coconut,” said Alicia. “When I touch it, I break out in rashes and hives, but when I eat it, my throat starts to close up.”
When she was a freshman, she did have a severe allergic reaction when she ingested coconut by accident.
She had to use her EpiPen to save her own life.
“It’s heart wrenching, especially when you get a call from a school saying she’s on her way to the ER because she had an allergic reaction and had to use her EpiPen,” said Cynthia Smith, her mother.
Alicia knew what to do, but many younger kids would need help in that dire situation.
Anaphylaxis is the worst form of an allergic reaction. Dr. Siddarth Goyal, an emergency room doctor at Orlando Health Bayfront Hospital, calls anaphylaxis a true emergency.
“People start to have difficulty swallowing, trouble breathing. They swell in their lip, tongue, stomach pain, vomiting, blood pressure drops or heart rate gets really fast. It’s very severe,” said Goyal.
This new law requires K-8 public schools to ensure they can effectively identify and respond to a child having an allergic reaction and/or anaphylaxis. When it comes to response, the law requires the school personnel to be able to administer emergency epinephrine.
“I think it’s extremely important,” said Goyal. “I’m really glad they did this because, like I said, seconds matter in this kind of situation. And also you have a child who’s scared.”
Alicia and her mom agree, this law has been needed for some time.
“I think it’s amazing the peace of mind,” said Cynthia.
The bill analysis stated, “Florida Department of Health’s 2022-2023 Annual School Health Services Report, approximately 76,000 students in Florida have life-threatening allergies. Additionally, 112,680 students diagnosed with asthma may also experience severe allergic reactions if exposed to allergens.”
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by PostX News and is published from a syndicated feed.)
