School precautions, peanut-free lunchrooms aid allergy-stricken students

Mackenzie DePyper poses with her third grade teacher Mrs. Hunefeld. Precautions taken by the staff at Graettinger-Terril have allowed Mackenzie to attend school without any allergic reactions so far this school year. (Photo submitted)

For Graettinger-Terril third grader Mackenzie DePyper, an afternoon snack with her dad turned into a visit to the ER and the discovery of a severe food allergy.

"She ate peanut butter for the second and third year of her life and then one day she had a bowl of peanuts with her dad and just swelled up like a balloon and couldn't breathe," recalls Miranda DePyper, Mackenzie's mother.

Since the discovery of the peanut allergy more than five years ago, Mackenzie's sensitivity has increased each year, spurring 20 ER visits. Now Mackenzie's allergens include tree nuts. Her reaction-triggers have also expanded, caused at times by simply touching table surfaces with traces of peanut butter or eating foods produced on a factory line where peanuts have touched.

"A lot of people don't realize that when you make something like at (a) bakery, if they make something without peanuts, if they don't bleach that, peanut reside is still there," Miranda said.

While Mackenzie had five reactions at school last year, Miranda notes that, thanks to numerous precautions taken by the G/T staff, her daughter's school days have been reaction-free.

"I think the biggest thing they did was a peanut-free table," Miranda said. "Her friends that aren't having peanuts that day sit with her at the table. Its a special thing for her and her friends. The cooks are really good they have sunflower butter for her they can use for her."

G/T's ability to follow food-allergy protocol is an increasing policy across Dickinson County Schools. Donna Chozen, school nurse for the Okoboji School District, notes the Okoboji district's policy for an entirely peanut-free lunchroom has helped eliminate many reactions.

"I would say the peanut allergies are the most severe allergies," Chozen said. "We take a lot of precautions so that anyone effected with that allergy isn't exposed to it."

In the case of a reaction, many food allergy sufferers rely heavily on the use of an Epi-pen, a small, syringe-like device that releases a pre-measured dose of Epinephrine, releasing adrenaline to fight the reaction. According to Chozen, the Epi-pen is an important tool to have on hand in case allergy attacks do strike.

"We have an Epinephrine pen on hand, usually we have two; one in the cafeteria and one in the child's classroom," Chozen said.

Claudia Nichols, school nurse for the Spirit Lake District, notes that allergies in her district include dairy, soy and peanut. She credits individual teachers of allergy-stricken students for their vigilance.

"The teacher reads labels, labels, labels, (allowing) no foods processed in a facility with peanuts, no foods that contain peanuts, or any form of peanut oil, or soy, or whatever the child is allergic to are allowed in the classroom," Nichols said.

Jolene Leu, a transitional kindergarten teacher at Okoboji, has had several students over the years with food allergies. Leu has found she can use the experience as a teachable moment.

"We just talk about how certain students have needs that are different from other students," Leu said. "Students seem to understand this and be sensitive to this issue."

Thanks to a watchful staff and classmates, DePyper can now be at ease, knowing her daughter will not feel like an outsider as a result of her allergy.

"The classmates have been really good with her too, making sure that she can have something, or they'll ask the teacher," DePyper said. "She's got a good class and a good teacher; the cooks are wonderful, too. They read packages, I'm very impressed with the school district here. They make more of a big deal about what she can have instead of what she can't."