Stamford mum campaigns to change allergy laws for schools following death of son Benedict Blythe, a former Barnack Primary School pupil
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.
Benedict’s mother, Helen Blythe, said: “I can’t describe the impact on our family.
“Losing Benedict has shaken our whole reality.
“You assume that children don’t die – it just shakes your whole belief around what’s possible.”
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.
The 36-year-old said: “We thought about it long and hard and we felt we had a responsibility.
“Everything Benedict did he did with kindness and to support others so it feels right to do it in his legacy.”
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.
“That he should be able to live a normal life, even if we have to work a bit harder to achieve it.”
Benedict was allergic to dairy, eggs, peanuts, sesame and chickpeas. He also suffered from serious asthma.
While the five-year-old knew he needed to manage his own risks, his parents didn’t want him to think of them as scary.
“It was always scarier for us than it was for him,” said Helen.
Helen is calling for a change to the law which has gained the support of Stamford’s MP Gareth Davies (Con).
Mr Davies said: “I remain deeply grateful to Helen for sharing Benedict’s tragic story with me. Few of us know how painful it must be to lose a child, and I strongly admire her and her family’s significant efforts so far to campaign in his name.
“Since our first correspondence in January, and after meeting to discuss in detail, I have continued to make sure that Helen’s campaign is represented here in parliament.”
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.
The schools can chose to have spare devices which can be used if the child’s own is not immediately available, but cannot use another pupil’s pen in emergencies.
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.
“There is safeguarding so why not have policies for allergies?”
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.
While the campaign is in Benedict’s name it is also on behalf of children who died because of anaphylaxis. and those with allergies potential risk in the classroom.
“It is hard talking about something that is emotionally difficult but at the same time we are trying to bring about a positive change,” said Helen.
Helen and Pete still feel the fear of allergies, which is in the forefront of their minds as their four-year-old daughter Etta is due to start primary school in the autumn.
“I think it would be wrong to say we are not nervous given what has happened and we will be for a long time.
“The school she is going to has been wonderful at doing new detailed training,” Helen said.
Understanding the anxiety parents of children with allergies face, Helen doesn’t want to make others feel more scared than they already are but instead hopes to prevent tragedies.
More information about the Benedict Blythe Foundation can be found here. https://www.benedictblythe.com/protect-pupils-with-allergies/
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