“Brentson’s Story” September 12, 2005 The Day We Will Never Forget!

My son, Brentson Duke attends Taylor Stratton Elementary and is in the 4^th grade. Over the summer Brentson developed a severe allergic reaction to peanuts and peanut butter. His throat started to close up on him and he couldn’t breathe. At the beginning of the school year everyone was advised about Brentson’s allergy to peanuts and peanut butter products. Mrs. Tina in the Cafeteria, Nurse Cathy and Nurse Clare, F.N.P., and Brentson’s homeroom teacher, Mrs. Greene. On September 12, 2005 he went to school like every other day. However, when his class went to music that morning, Brent started having a severe headache. Brent thought he was just getting a headache, but actually he was starting to have an allergic anaphylactic reaction to something he unknowingly came in contact with in music. The music teacher advised Brent that he could put his head down, because he felt too bad to walk directly across the hall to the School Health Clinic. When he put his head down his throat started close up. (Evidently there was some peanut butter or peanut butter product on the desk or in the air in the music room.) When he was finally able to lift his head and looked up a little while later, the entire class had left music and he was the only person in the room. He walked out of the room and found the music teacher. The music teacher took Brentson to his homeroom teacher, who was still in the hall escorting her students back to the classroom. When Brentson’s teacher Mrs. Greene saw his face she immediately knew something was terribly wrong, and took him straight to the clinic. The School Nurse Cathy immediately thought Brentson was having an allergic reaction. Nurse Cathy asked Brent if “he had eaten anything with peanuts or peanut butter?” He advised, “NO”. I received a call around 10:30 a.m. on Monday 09/12/2005 from Nurse Cathy at the School Health Clinic. Nurse Cathy advised, that she thought Brentson might be having an “allergic reaction”. However, he had a severe headache and she wasn’t 100% certain. I told her that I was on my way to the school right then. When I arrived, Brentson looked bad! He told me he felt like his throat was closing up, like it did when he ate the peanut butter and had to go to the Emergency Room. I signed him out of school and called his pediatricians office immediately and told them I was bringing Brentson into the office. My son lost consciousness on the way to the doctor due to the loss of oxygen he was receiving due to the severe allergic reaction he had at school.After the doctors released Brentson, I contacted Nurse Cathy to advise her that Brent was having a severe allergic reaction and that he went into anaphylactic shock and almost died. I told her what the doctor stated that people with allergies to peanuts and peanut butter products can just breathe the smell of any peanut or peanut butter products and have an anaphylactic reaction.On that same day, Monday 09/12/2005 I tried to contact the principal of Taylor Stratton Elementary, but she was unavailable to speak with me. Therefore, I spoke to the Guidance Counselor at Taylor Stratton Elementary. I advised her of the situation and that I desperately needed her help, that my child almost died from being exposed to some form of peanuts or peanut butter products at school. Mrs. Sullivan advised that she would have to get back with me, due to she did not know how they would deal with this issue. I waited, waited and wait… I did not receive a call from the Principal or the Guidance Councilor. Therefore, on Thursday September 15, 2005 I wrote and then faxed them both a letter expressing my concerns and some suggestions. I still heard nothing… On Friday, September 16, 2005 I went to the school to pick up some more of my son’s assignments, and asked to speak to the Principal. When I did have a chance to speak to the Principal she stated, she did receive my letter, however, they could not restrict peanuts and peanut butter products from the school just because one child has an allergic reaction. I advised her that it was a severe anaphylactic reaction and he could have died! I advised her that if they cannot restrict it from the entire school, then I would like to have it restricted from his classroom. Nurse Sullivan, F.N.P. had drafted a letter with help from someone at the Metro School Board, requesting the children in Brentson’s classroom try not to bring peanuts or peanut butter products due to a child is severe allergy to them and it is life threatening. Nurse Clare, F.N.P. gave the letter to the Principal to ask her to approve it to be sent out to Brentson’s classmates. However, the Principal stated that she contacted the School Board Lawyers and they advised her that they cannot ask the parents not to send peanut butter or peanut butter products because one child has a severe allergic reaction. Mrs. Hayes stated that they would have complaints. So, I guess the Metro Nashville Board of Education and this Principal would rather have a dead child than a complaint…? I advised this Principal that I will not allow her or the

Metro Nashville
School Board to play “RUSSIAN ROULETTE” with my child. The Principal said, “he can eat in the clinic”. It wouldn’t matter because he would still be around children who could have eaten it at lunch or at break time.

The Metro School Board banned “hand sanitize” because “one child” had an allergic reaction. NOT A SEVERE ANAPHYLACTIC REACTION, JUST A REACTION. But my child almost dies, and MNPS and this Principal will not let a letter be sent out “requesting” that they not pack peanut butter products for their children due to this because there might be complaints! This infuriated me and I contacted the

Metro
School Board and the Media. Only after Brentson and I did a story with News Channel 2, with Heather Orne was anything done about this matter. Then this Principal agreed to send out letters to the children and parents requesting that they not pack peanut butter or peanut butter products. The school had educational classes to inform the teachers and children about deadly food allergies. Through my research with the School Nursing Program I have found out that there are a lot of children in Stratton and other Metro Nashville schools with peanut and other food allergies that are deadly, anaphylactic allergies. There wasn’t anything in place to protect children with anaphylaxis food allergies in the state of Tennessee. However, now there is “Brentson’s Law.” To help protect all children with all anaphylaxis food allergies through out the state.

Sincerely,

Laura & Brentson Duke

This message is intended for where the writer posted it. Any distribution of this message in any way is prohibited without the written consent of Laura Duke. I reserve the right to pursue all legal means at my disposal to enforce my son’s and my privacy!