Morgan was 10 years old the end of January 2006 when this article was written originally for our February newsletter. He was then anaphylactic to peanuts, tree nuts, sesame and shellfish. He is severely allergic to dogs, cats and other furry animals. He gets eczema from food dyes, has mild asthma and is allergic to grasses, weeds and trees.
Where are your EpiPens® kept at school?
Just in case if I have an allergic reaction at school, I can use them. They are not by my side in the school. Two are in the office – one to stay there and one to go out to the playground with the monitor. I don’t think that is the greatest place to put them though because they are locked away. I also have one in each of my classrooms. (Mom’s note: in 2006, it was not legal for Morgan to self-carry his EpiPens, therefore other arrangements had to be made. It wasn’t until 2007 that he began to self-carry).
Do you trust that your teacher would know what to do if you were to have an allergic reaction?
Yes I do.
Do you trust the office staff to know what to do?
Not really. We had a boy a little older than me that had an allergic reaction and they did not use his epinephrine. They thought he had the flu. He did not die thankfully.
When you get older, do you plan on teaching your friends how to administer an EpiPen®?
YES I do! So they know what is happening when I’m in shock and what to do. Usually one of my friends is close by at all times.
What did you teach your Cub Scout Den about emergencies and food allergies?
I taught them how to use the EpiPen® and when to use it. I taught them the process which is put the EpiPen® in my thigh, call 911.
With the recent death of a girl dying after kissing a boy who had eaten peanut butter, what different behavior will you practice when you get older?
I’m never going to date a girl who eats peanut butter all the time. It is just too dangerous.
Will it be difficult to tell a girl what she can eat?
No. Not necessarily. It won’t be that hard just because it is a situation between life and death. I don’t want to risk my life.