NEW YORK (WABC) -- A New York woman is suing American Airlines, saying it endangered her severely allergic 4-year-old son by serving peanuts on their flight.

http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/story?section=news/local&id=6182814

Like the entire world does not know that airlines serve peanuts on flights?????? If your child is that alergic, maybe there is a better way to travel??

Well I'm sure she discussed this severe allergy with the airline when she purchased the tickets and then again before she got on the flight - but wait.....no.....that would mean she would actually have to act responsibly and we all know that that's not going to happen!

On the news, they said she did tell the airline of his allergies and they told her that they will be serving peanuts. Why didn't she book a flight with an airline that serves pretzels? I have been on a few of those...

Why? because some people think the world revolves around them.

How assine!

How severe can an allergy to peanuts be?

Does smelling peanuts cause a problem? Does seeing peanuts cause a problem? Does being in the same room as peanuts cause a problem? Does using the word 'peanuts' in a sentence cause a problem?

If not, then if the airline didn't shove peanuts down this kid's throat, what was the problem?

If she knew that they would serve peanuts, and chose to book tickets and board the plane, then the decision and responsibility is her's, not the airlines. She put the boy in harm's way, not the airline.

I haven't read the story yet, but you may want to view this site to see how difficult it can be at times, no matter how responsible you are. But then again, this family takes one day at a time and does not try to place blame on big corporate companies to solve their worries. Feel free to read her journal, this little guy has been through A LOT.

Caringbridge

for those with severe peanut allergies, yes, smelling them can cause a horrific reaction. I frequently fly Southwest, and have been on flights where they say "due to a customer on board with severe peanut allergies, we will not be serving these today. We are sorry for the inconvenience, but the safety of our customers comes first."

Like most food allergies, DEADLY!

Yes, No, and Yes.

Trace Atkins says, "We Need our People to be educated about Food Allergies and Anaphylaxis."



I agree with you to some extent. However, IF the family contacted the airline to see if peanuts were served on their flights, and they aren't served on most flights any more, and were told no, and then they were in fact served, there's a problem. If they expect the world to revolve around them, on the other hand, and they want to live in a peanut free world, they the problem themselves.

the only problem with this is that they cant stop the passengers from bringing their own peanuts if they wanted them, so the threat would be there even if the airline didnt serve them

So now American is going to charge $15 for a peanut-free flight, aren't they.

Not only are they going to charge $50 for a peanut-free flight, they'll also be charging $5 for a bag of peanuts.

i thought most had already gone peanut free, most I have been on have. You should ask the Green Lantern he travels a lot

MY grandson has a peanut allergy. We read the contents on everything he eats to avoid penauts, peaunuts, etc. as he is instantly sick when he eats them. But he can be in the same room and breathe the odor of the peanuts. So his allergy must not be as severe as some. He would be able to fly on a flight that serves them. He just wouldn't be able to eat them or touch them. But I doubt that we would sue the airline for serving them.

Thanks Happy and BF, I had no idea just smelling peanuts could be that bad for someone.

If this allergy can be so bad, what happens if the person sitting either behind them or next to them starts to eat some peanuts? If the smell alone will do it, a person would almost need some type of respirator to purify the air, wouldn't they?

Sorry to be heartless but I think people with such severe allergies should be left to die. Why are we encouraging weak humans to continue living and sapping up the vital resources of those of us who aren't a burden on the system? Life should be about survival of the fittest. I personally plan to bring a bag of peanuts on every flight I board and eat them knowing that I don't have any food allergies, nor do I have any major health issues, genetic disorders or ailments that require me to live off others. I just get so sick of people thinking the world needs to baby them and adapt for the weak, unstead of culling them like higher life beings should.

::wiping water from my monitor smiley::

can I get a bag of peanuts please?

BB, your post would be funny if this story were just about an idiot adult, but it is about a child. Actually, it is about an idiot adult - the one who took her child with severe allergies on an air plane but lets focus on the allergy.

Yes, peanut allergies can be severe and the level of severity can increase at any time. An allergic reaction can result after eating peanuts, touching peanuts, inhaling peanut dust, etc. Also, if someone has peanut residue on their hands, it could leave enough of a trace that if someone with an allergy touches the same object they could have a reaction. For example: You eat a peanut butter sandwich and then tough a door knob. Someone with a severe allergy touches the same door knob and has a reaction.

What is scary, is that this allergy can happen at any time, it doesn't always begin in childhood. A friend just recently developed an allergy to tree nuts - another common allergy. She ate one square of a gourmet candy bar that indicated 'made in a factory that may also process products containing nuts'. Not long after eating the small piece, her airway began to close and she had to go to the ER. Her allergist told her that she must avoid all tree nuts, even traces. For her, peanuts (legumes) are fine. The next time you go to the store, read the allergy warning on food labels. You'd be surprised where peanuts and nuts can be found.

Another friend's child has a severe peanut allergy. When they must fly, they select only peanut-free flights, she preboards and covers his seat with a sheet that she then throws away when they arrive at their destination. He also wears a mask. He has to sit at a special table at school that is 'nut free'.

Food-based allergies are some of the most lethal types of allergies. Seeing a child in the early stages of anaphylaxis is something you hope to never see. It is scary for the parents and the child. Not something to joke about.

Now, as for the idiot mother - shame on her for taking her child on the plane. I'm not able to access the article, but another poster indicated she was told there would be peanuts on the plane. What complete and utter ignorance.

Please, if you or someone you love has an allergy, get as much information as you can. Allergies should not be taken lightly.

Honestly, I think a large part of why food allergies are as severe as they are is because we have overprotected them.

Absolutely right on, Christina. Years ago, my brother ate a couple of pieces of bakery bread, and went into shock. The ambulance had to stop twice on the way to the hospital to revive him. The EMTs said it was the closest they had ever come to losing someone and still having him live. A doctor estimated my brother had been 4 minutes away from dying.

It turns out that the bakery, before they had placed that particular loaf on a cutting board, had previously sliced a loaf of bread baked with nuts. They had washed the board after slicing the nut bread; and that tiny trace of nut that remained, and got onto the loaf that my brother had two pieces of, literally almost killed him.

So if I never see another peanut on another airplane flight for the rest of my life, that's just fine with me.

So are you suggesting that I (or anyone else who is a parent to a child with food allergies) just let my daughter eat eggs since she went into anaphylaxis when she was 11 months old and hope it will get better? First time she was exposed to eggs was when she had the flu shot (it's egg based) - second time was eating home made French toast. There was no way to know she'd have a reaction. The first time someone has an allergic food reaction, no one can predict it will happen.

I fail to understand how protecting someone's life (yes, she was turning blue when she had her reaction and now travels with an epi-pen) is overprotecting them.