July 20, 2023, Rutland and Stamford Mercury: Stamford mum campaigns to change allergy laws for schools following death of son Benedict Blythe, a former Barnack Primary School pupil https://www.stamfordmercury.co.uk/news/amp/mum-campaigns-to-change-law-after-son-died-from-allergic-rea-9322188/
E. Midlands
The mother of a five-year-old boy who died after an allergic reaction at school is calling for better training and changes to the law to keep children safe.
Benedict Blythe, a pupil at Barnack Primary School who lived in Stamford, died suddenly on December 1, 2021 after collapsing at school.
A post-mortem examination found the cause of death to be an anaphylactic allergic reaction….
Helen and her husband Pete are still waiting for an inquest to shed light on how and why their son died, but say the “horrifying” speed with which he became seriously ill demonstrates the need for nursery and school staff to be prepared to respond.
Helen is now campaigning for schools to be supported to provide better protection for pupils with allergies through Benedict Blythe Foundation, founded in her son’s memory….
When Benedict got to primary school age his parents were determined their son should have a positive experience at school despite his allergies, which he had had since he was a baby.
“Most of the time Benedict’s allergies were a looming spectre in the background. I had a fierce internal narrative that this is something that is risky, but that it’s something we could manage,” said Helen….
Helen is calling for a change to the law which has gained the support of Stamford’s MP Gareth Davies (Con)….
Her aim is to make it mandatory for schools to have an allergy policy, including an anaphylaxis plan, to have spare adrenaline auto-injectors, and to implement training for staff on allergies.
Currently teachers are permitted – but not obligated – to administer the adrenaline auto-injectors but only to the person the device has been prescribed to….
A petition has been launched, which if signed 100,000 times, will be heard in parliament. “What we are asking for is quite basic - it is not a radical change,” said Helen….
While schools do have overarching allergy policies Helen believes they are not specific enough and can be interpreted differently.
The day after Benedict’s death Helen shared the news on her social media channels, as she ‘felt like the world should know about him and see him’.
Her tweet was shared by more than 50,000 people and Helen was inundated with messages of support and stories from other parents sharing their own sad experiences of losing children to anaphylaxis….
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