It also got a ridiculous amount of crazy, vicious, insulting and disgusting comments from Chicago Sun Times readers. John and I were interviewed yesterday for a nice little piece about the Chicago Cubs hosting a peanut free sky box for the first time Monday August 3oth. A fellow food allergy mama started a face book site solely for the purpose to raise awareness and help get the Cubs to allow a peanut free section for one game. It was a great story that had “legs” as we say in journalism school…it ran on all the local morning t.v. shows, news radio and I think even USA Today picked it up. Read the story and reader comments (beware) here: Allergic Fans Cheer
At first I was happy, because first and foremost it gets people talking about food allergies, and it praises the Cubs for listening to their fans and giving peanut allergic fans an opportunity to attend a game just like everyone else, but in a more safe environment. For one night. On a Monday night. Against the Pirates. In a Sky box no one was using anyway. But then came the backlash. Remember the comments posted after Joel Stein’s infamous column about food allergies? Yep, those same people must have been posting today too. So rather, than getting all pissed off about it, I figure I would highlight some of the more “interesting” comments people said about me and my son (my rebuttals are in italics):
- I am sorry and no disrespect toward this child and his family, but this story proves the once mighty America has fallen. What is next, no ice cream day for people who are lactose intolerant? Why yes, that would be the logical next step. Just kidding. And yes, you did mean disrespect.
- This seems like a great family and I do not mean to be an a-hole, (but you are an a-hole) but I am sick and tired of all this PC krap (SIC) we have in the world today. Really, how PC of you to post this intelligent comment.
- The wussification (SIC) of America continues..I know, posting anonymously is so not wussy.
- That’s right lady, smother the boy until you turn him into a girl. Perhaps I should ask YOUR mother for child-rearing advice?
- It’s our birthday present to him,” said Kelly Rudnicki, a blogger and author on food allergies who has written two books, including The Food Allergy Mama’s Baking Book. I that says it all.
This kid will be dancing on one of the floats in that parade they have on Halsted in a couple of years. Wow, he actually took the time to requote me. An A for effort, and just to clarify, is there something “tricky” in that title that “says it all?”. For the record, I’ve danced on those floats for many, many years and would stand proud on Halsted any day. - EXTRA CREDIT FOR BEING THE MOST, WELL, DISTURBING:I ‘d like a section where I only sit with MILFs. Now, THAT is a title that says it all. Nice one Larry Horse (yes, that was his pen name)
This is just a sampling folks, but I thought I’d save you the trouble of getting ill and just give you some of the better Springer Zingers of the bunch. Should we be sick to our stomachs and offended? Yes. Should we write letters defending our stance? Yes. Should we keep pressing on, educating and doing the best we can as parents who just want our kids to have little moments of normalcy here and there? Definitely. But should we care what any of these people say? NEVER.
And in the spirit of TV News, as Ron Burgundy would say, “Stay Classy”….that means you, Online Newspaper Readers.
That’s all, carry on.
OMG, Kelly. Your responses had me LAUGHING! “But, you are an a-hole” – I’m going to get chuckles out of that one for DAYS. God Bless America and the right of free speech – it makes it soooo much easier to pick out the bottom dwellers, eh? Can you just imagine an article about kids with cancer getting these types of comments?? Our kids have a LIFE THREATENING ILLNESS – it continues to boggle the mind that it’s socially acceptable to allow this type of abuse. Over. And. Over.
I seriously CANNOT believe people are so ignorant and naive. Would they make comments like that about people, especially children, with any other life threatening disease? The comment about an ice cream free day for lactose intolerant people goes to show some people still do not understand food allergies. Lactose intolerance and food allergies affect two totally different systems in the body. One causes a bad stomachache and one can cause death. Our allergist stresses the seriousness of our son’s allergies each and every time we are in his office. (My boy is 2 years old and is allergic to milk, eggs, wheat and peanuts. We found out about his milk allergy when I tried to wean him. He ended up having anaphylaxsis and we took a scary ride in the Amulance. Even after we cut dairy out of his diet, he stopped growing, got very ill and ended up being hospitalized before we found out about his other allergies. Now he is on Bright Beginnings Soy drink and is growing like a weed!)
Yesterday I took him with me to pick up my daughter from Kindergarten. She was eating lunch in the cafeteria. It was the first day of school and no one had eaten at the tables yet. We sat down at an empty, clean table to wait for her to finish her lunch. Within minutes my son’s hands and arms were completely red and swollen with hives, just from touching the “clean” table. A woman we know well and is well aware of our sons allergies stared in amazement and said, “I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes.” I guess some people have to see to believe and heaven forbid if they should ever find themselves in the life changing situation of having a child with food allergies. I wouldn’t wish it on any child or family.
I do want to say THANK YOU for what you do in raising awareness and providing recipes that are safe for food allergy sufferers. I know you help many more people than you can probably imagine. Keep up the good work!!
argh!
and WOW at Jodi’s comment.
Wow. I am not one to post comments – but this, I just can’t afford not to. First of all – I’m sorry to hear that happened to you – it must be incredibly frustrating. And secondly, it happens to our kids, ourselves, etc. – ignorance. It makes me sad to know that people just don’t ‘get it’. They live out of anger and fear. It’s total projection. Projecting whatever inadaquacies they have. Let’s be darn happy we don’t live in that world!
I keep hoping people will wake up – but I’m not holding my breath. We’ll keep on – keepin’ on – with respect – with education – with acceptance.
I am so sorry people felt the need to comment in that manner. I’ve found local papers somehow bring out the most terrible people on the internet. I’m so glad you are able to keep your chin up about this! Also, how great for your son to go to the baseball game with your family – you can all cherish that memory.
seems like there are a lot of unfortunate people still imprisoned by their own stupidity. let’s hope that some day, when these people are confronted with a child or another family member with severe allergies, that they will develop a profound appreciation for allergy sufferers and a deep remorse for how little they understood the world around them.
however, these people are obviously not your audience. and, just as i didn’t understand why my friends, who were new parents, were so freakishly nervous about their toddler walking around my house when they came for dinner, these naysayers don’t “get” what they don’t know. i ignorantly kept thinking: wow my friends are so paranoid about their kid! then i had a child of my own and realized, a year later, what a dope i was to judge them for wanting to protect their son from getting hurt in my non-baby-proofed house.
toddlers, as well as ignoramuses, get hurt. and stupidity and ignorance will succumb to better understanding. allergies are sadly becoming so prominent that everyone in the u.s. will have hands-on experience with them at some point. do not let the morons of wrigley get you down, kelly. you are an advocate and a champion for allergy awareness and those “in the know” know that you are putting yourself out there for us. And we appreciate you so. much.
“Springer zingers!” What a great description!
Those comments were so ignorant and crazy that it scares me to think that these people probably drive a motor vehicle. How frightening is that? I wonder if they would say the same comments to you in person. No, they would probably “wuss out.”
Keep up the great work and someday there will be a better understanding and empathy. It is not easy being a trail blazer.
They are all just trollers, they make comments just to get a reation, being nameless they can make even more “out their” comments, than they would in person.
These same trollers will go to diabetic sites and suggest a donut tossing, then go to left handed sites and suggest removal of left handed people’s right hands.
These trollers make these remarks to get reactions, these same people offend everyone in real life as well. Most likely trollers have few friends who would ever care if they had a real problem in their life, including allergies.
Hi Kelly!
Kuddos about the baseball game! I am sure your family had a fantastic time. And you should feel so very proud of yourself for all that you are doing for families with allergies.
And you are right, it DOESN’T matter what others think. My son is 11, he has had his severe allergies since birth, and I am sorry to say some of the worlds thinking hasn’t changed. Leaps and bounds have been made with food products and information on the net, etc…..BUT people that don’t experience it will never understand. It’s just a fact. They don’t live with the daily fright of their own child possibly dieing from contact with their allergens. And until someone experiences it, they can’t possibly understand and comprehend what our families go through.
More and more families are being affected by allergies, and it is so very sad. Get rid of the toxins in the world and you will see a decline in allergies. The problem is so huge, that the little steps that are made, like the baseball game are so worth hearing the nasty comments by ignorants. Because YOU and your family made that little step and that difference. And it counts for you and your own little family bubble. : )
I sincerely appreciate all that you are doing Kelly. It is fantastic!
Kelly, you are an inspiration to me. You’re not just an incredible advocate for your kids. You’ve also got spunk!
I just don’t understand some people. I have always said “everything happens for a reason.” While I hate that my child has food allergies and that other children suffer from allergies far worse than my child’s, I try to see the big picture. It has made me more aware, and most importantly, it will teach my child to be respectful, healthy and supprotive of others, no matter their illness or disability.
We should all feel proud that if we continue to be strong and fight for our kids, they will grow up with much more respect than the uneducated people who have posted on that article. We are raising the good boys and girls who will look past what someone may look like or what food they can eat. And we certainly are not raising children who will belittle someone’s disability, no matter how large or small or how life threatening that disability may be.
Wow, I think people are so quick to react, that they don’t even fully understand the situation. Obviously simple minded people who live in a very small world. If it’s just one section, then it will not infringe on anyone’s right to go to the game and eat what they want in another section. Do these people that comment even have tickets to the game? Whether or not they did, this will not affect their lives. For the people that wrote those not so nice comments, how lucky they are to be able to go whereever they want and not have to worry abou the type of food being served. This is a luxury.
Enjoy the game for those who go.
Hi. How many people were in the skybox for this game? BTW, I am all for a “no ice cream” day since our daughter is contact reactive and ana to dairy!
Love to see some pics of John at the game.
Something similar happened to me. I was interviewed by the Kansas City Star and asked for a reaction to the then proposed DOT changes in airline policy for an article in the travel section. Seemed pretty harmless- a mom’s opinion on how it would make her family’s life easier. But the comments were vicious! Someone even wrote how the next time they flew, they would spread peanuts all over the plane.
The cruel comments of others is most disturbing. My first reaction to these types is anger, followed quickly by sadness and then a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach.
I truly think the only thing worse than dealing with the food allergy is dealing with the crass and ignorant people who don’t understand food allergy. How many of us have had to deal with this on a smaller scale with friends or even within our own families?
There is no cure for food allergy but there is a cure for those bullies. Shine a light on them, call out their rudeness, inform as many people as you can about food allergies. Education is the only way to stop intolerance.
Kelly, you are an inspiration!
We just relocated to a new state/school district 2 weeks before our daughter with life threatening food allergies is to start kindergarten. I spent 2 years in my old district working to create food allergy policy in schools, and educating the community through classroom and library sessions. THE BEST and MOST INFURIATING comment I learned someone shared was…. “well, if there is going to be a nut-free classroom, then I want all the trees/grasses and flowers removed from the playground as my child has allergies to those things”. Everyone who reads this knows the response, but I was sick to my stomach for days and just wanted to crawl in a hole. A few days later I got back up and continue to endure… one family, one child, one person at a time. I am so grateful for Kelly, and all the other mothers, fathers, and general advocates we have out there protecting our kids.
Wow! Just wait one of these people will one day have a child with food allergies. Crazy comments. It makes my heart fill heavy.
OMG. I am speechless at the ignorance of these people. How someone can be so inconsiderate of a child’s life is beyond me. I’m encouraged by your strength and persistence. You are an example to us FA mamas! John is so lucky to have you as a mom!
If all of those obnoxious posters came out from under their rocks more often, perhaps they wouldn’t be so incredibly ignorant. They probably would still be A-holes though unfortunately. The thing that helps me is to think of all the people who do get it and do care and the support we get some each other and people like you Kelly. We were entrusted with these special kids for a reason. We rock!
Kelly,
The comments left by mentally ill individuals are not representational of the beliefs of all individuals. They may not know that they are mentally ill…..but, they are. They need to seek help.
It is unfortunate that local papers do not screen out inappropriate comments.
Anita
SERIOUSLY…who are these cruel and uneducated people!!!!!! As the mother of a child with a life threatening peanut allergy, I am finding it hard not to cry over such comments.
Those news article comments are so incredibly disturbing, it just proves that every time you think you’ve met or heard of the stupidest person in the world, you meet the next one — or group of them. One of the downsides of the Internet, everyone gets an immediate and worldwide voice… no matter how mean and ignorant.
On a “taking the higher road” note… We can all just pray that the ignorant people posting these comments never have to experience their child’s face and throat swelling up from anaphalactic shock and hoping that the epinephrine takes effect before they die. Nobody should have to experience that, and the ignorance is bliss in this case. They get to continue to live in a world that much more care-free than those actually dealing with allergies, and our wish for them is that they never have to worry about it.
Kelly,
I am a big fan of yours and was so happy to see your son get to enjoy baseball in a peanut free box. My husband works in major league baseball (not for the Cubs) and has held a very prominent and public job over the last 2 years. I used to read the comments about him at the end of articles all the time, but over time I have realized that the fans who post on blogs, especially those who use surnames, are ignorant and self-serving. They think it is acceptable to write ugly, hateful things without intricate knowledge of any situation (whether it be baseball in my case or food allergies in yours).
I have been in your shoes regarding blog comments. It is very hurtful and frustrating when people comment on your family when they do not even know you as real people.
My husband and I also have a dairy/egg allergic daughter and are constantly struggling to make sure people understand the extent of her allergies. Please continue to do what you do and take pride in the fact you are moving mountains to bring food allergies to light in a world full of people who do not understand.
I am going to consider bringing this “allergy free” baseball suite idea up to the club my husband works for. I am always interested in talking more about this. Please feel free to email me directly at any time to share ideas. I really admire what you do- Please keep it up!
It is so hard as a mom of a child with severe food allergies to read these incredibly insensitive remarks. Thank you Kelly for raising awareness of food allergies so that hopefully someday people will “get it” and feel compassion toward our kiddos and not intolerance.
YAY! Thanks so much for posting Kelly! We are lifelong White Sox fans, but will be wearing the red and blue Monday as our six year old attends his first ever Major League game at Wrigley! Kudos to the Cubs for making a way for the youngest of fans to experience the game!
As for the ignorant comments from others, I’m not going to bother reading them all. I was sick to my stomach for days after Joel Stein’s article last year. They likely would never say such stupid things face to face – and after looking into the tearful eyes of a six year old who couldn’t enjoy the great American past time for ONE NIGHT of the year, I’d certainly hope they’d change their tune.
Thanks for being a great face for families of kids with food allergies! See you Monday!
Some statements last the test of time…
“…yet there has been nothing which I have found to require a greater effort of patience than to bear the criticisms of the ignorant…”- Jefferson Davis – letter to General Lee August 11, 1863
Thank you Kelly for your constant vigilance and efforts to raise food allergy awareness and understanding.
[...] Food Allergy Mama reported on the disappointing online backlash against the news that the Cubs will host a so-called “peanut safe” game on August 30. While the steps the Cubs are taking are rather tepid (the “safe” zone consists of one skybox and it’s a game between two teams with zero chance of making the playoffs), it’s still a step forward. [...]
Well, it’s official. People can and will criticize absolutely anything. And if the subject at hand involves parenting, the criticism will be even more severe.
My oh my oh my.
I am a Southerner, and have to say, “Bless your sweet heart” for fighting the good fight!
Hey Kelly–We saw you and John on the ABC news tonight and you both were fabulous! Your and John’s smiles couldn’t have been bigger. This event has forever been written in Wrigley history and in the mind/heart of your darling boy. I hope they still keep this up once my 2 year old son is old enough to attend! Congrats on the appearance and hope everyone had a great game time free of worry.
Kelly,
We actually were very lucky at the beginning of the season to have the chance to have our own skybox for a Cubs game at Wrigley. We invited 5 other kids (in addition to our three with food allergies) to join us and the kids (and parents) had such a wonderful time! I was so happy to hear that this was going to be an option for other kids with peanut allergies this year!
I can hardly stomach reading the cruel comments that often follow food allergy articles and often wonder how people can find the energy to be so unkind to people they do not know and have such a complete lack of empathy toward a disease that they clearly do not understand.
I thought this would be a good opportunity to let you and your readers know about a teacher-guided playgroup that I have started for children with food allergies. I am a pediatric allergist and mother of four children (3 of whom have multiple life-threatening food allergies) and this playgroup was born out of a need for a safe place to send our children to school. We meet M, W, F from 830-1130 downtown Chicago and would love to have a few more children join us. We are looking for children ages 3-5 whose families feel that a traditional preschool may not be a safe place for them yet. Each child brings a snack that is safe for everybody so that no one feels unsafe or singled out during the social snack time. We did this last year and is was such a success!! I am happy to talk to anyone about the chance to join us! Please let me know if you have any ideas where I can continue to get the word out! My email is sbr511@gmail.com.
Thank you!
thank you so much deanna! it was a fun week and so happy the issue got so much attention!
thanks teeny…i love it!
As someone who responded to some of the negative comments on one of the online stories, I really have appreciated this blog post (and following comments). Despite being a civil rights lawyer for individuals with disabilities, putting on my advocate mom hat for my own 4 year old peanut allergic son is a different story. We’re still trying to sort everything out from an emotional/practical/educational perspective and it is incredibly helpful and energizing to hear from other parents with sharp wits and a sense of humor to boot. Much appreciation.
Sarah, thanks SO MUCH for your reassuring and kind words. It means a lot to me to have your support, and everyone else’s on this blog. Thanks for sharing!!
People are amazing. I can only assume their kids don’t have allergies. I can also assume they don’t have a lot between the ears.
People never cease to amaze me. Thank you for your website. Thank you for the support to other mothers dealing with allergies. You rock!
thank you soooo much kellie!! so sweet of you to say. xoxoxo
I saw these negative comments too and it made me feel sick. I almost started crying at my desk at work. I’m from Cincinnati and have been trying to get the Reds to have a peanut-free night…so I wad following this story closely. I responded to some of the comments, and then realized I just needed to stop reading. I guess I’m allergic to assholes.