Mother Shuts Out Unbathed Son From Home Over Daughter's Life-Threatening Allergy

Prevention is better than cure.

Jesse

• Published in Interesting
• May 28, 2023

Several people worldwide suffer from allergies. For some, it may be severe, while for others, the effects may be minimal.

Each year, more than 100 million people in the US suffer from different allergies. Allergies rank as the sixth most common chronic disease in the United States. 

Some people's allergies are so bad that they could kill them if they aren't treated appropriately. As a result, allergies must be managed with caution and expertise. 

People must stay away from whatever they are allergic to and inform people around them of their allergies so their ignorance wouldn’t result in a crisis. 

Since the effects of exposure may vary from person to person based on the severity of the allergy, people also need to understand the level of exposure they can manage.

We found a story on the AITA subreddit that paints a similar picture.

OP shared that her daughter is severely allergic to peanuts. This means that OP’s daughter can’t handle secondhand exposure to peanuts and can’t be exposed to them at all.

As a result, OP and their partner took stringent measures to ensure their daughter’s safety, including requesting that OP’s son with her previous partner shower before every visit. OP made this requirement specifically because OP’s son’s half-brothers are big fans of peanut butter. 

One day, OP’s son wanted to visit, but he refused to shower first, so OP left him at his father’s house. This led to his father accusing OP of favoritism. OP then asked the court of Reddit for their opinion.

Scroll down to see the verdict!

Let's dig into the details

OP's daughter has a severe peanut allergy which makes her take precautions beyond what's normal for peanut allergy

OP's son who lives with her ex-husband has two half brothers who eat a lot of peanut butter. So when she wants to bring her son to her own house to see his sister, she mandates him to shower, which he doesn't like. Consequently, OP refused bringing her son to her home; and now, her ex-husband is accusing her of abandoning their son

Here's how the Reddit community reacted to the story:

"You should try to get a service dog for her"

"NTA...it’s a shower? A small thing that could keep someone out of the hospital."

"Extreme situations call for extreme measures and this is one of them."

"You are asking him to remove potentially deadly material from himself so that he doesn't kill your other child"

"A shower is needed. Adults can probably wash hands and not touch much for a short time."

"I can't blame you for trying to protect her"

"We're weighing a shower vs a hospital visit or even worse. like... it's water, he'll be ok."

"NTA. The reason for her son showering is she knows they consume peanuts regularly at their house."

"You're allowed to safeguard your daughter. But your sons also allowed to make his own choice to shower or not"

"You are right to be concerned and you are his mother - it's perfectly fine to ask him to take a shower."

"Take your son and his father to see your daughter’s doctor and let him explain and maybe show them a video of a severe reaction"

The commenters awarded OP the enviable title of NTA. According to them, she was only trying to keep her child safe. 

They also advised OP to get her daughter a service dog, which will help to protect her from getting exposed to peanuts.

How do you think OP should have handled this? Let us know in the comments below!

Jesse