ELLINGTON, Conn. (AP)
- For 8-year-old Tim Larew, a sudden and horrible death lurks in one of
the most all-American of snacks: a peanut butter-and-jelly sandwich. "It's
devastating to know that what the average child eats on a daily basis can
kill your child," said Kathy Larew, Tim's mother. The second-grader at
Windermere Elementary School is allergic to all nut products, as well as
milk, eggs and soy. School systems around the nation are grappling with
ways to balance the dietary needs of allergic kids like Tim with the rights
of others who cherish PB&Js. For those with an allergic child, it's
a matter of life and death. A touch, a taste, sometimes even a whiff of
the stuff can cause a child to stop breathing and go into shock - even
die.
