Mummy Buzz

Nov
15
2012

Allergy Mom Wants School Oak Trees Felled

Are this mom's worries warranted?

Food allergies can be harmful, fatal even. For many parents, getting school boards to take nut and other allergies taken seriously has been an uphill battle. Now one mother is going one further: campaigning to have school oak trees felled to spare potential allergic reactions to fallen acorns.

According to an article in the Globe and Mail, Ontario mom Donna Giustizia appealed to Vaughan City Council to have oaks near St. Stephen Catholic Elementary School chopped down, in order to provide a guaranteed nut-free facility.

Her argument: the sight of acorns alone could induce anxiety in allergic kids; bullies could use acorns to threaten and torment allergic kids. 

True enough, eating the tree nuts could induce an allergic reaction. The Council maintains that its custodians regularly sweep up the acorns that fall near the school grounds.

Are this mom's worries warranted, or is her concern straying into nutty territory?