TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - After a medical scare at a City of Tallahassee Summer Camp, one parent is urging others to be on high alert when it comes to peanut allergies.
WTXL ABC's Jada Williams spoke to those parent's about the events that are now leading them to speak out.
Their child suffered an allergic reaction they say wasn't handled properly.
Now they want other parents to be aware of what camp staffers can and can't do during a medical emergency.
One phone call can sent a parent into a panic, finding out your child is suffering a medical emergency.
By the time I got there, an EpiPen hadn't been administered and 911 hadn't been called, a parent said.
Morgan and Michael Tolia's son Liam has a nut allergy. And while at a City of Tallahassee summer camp, Liam ate some chips that were cooked in peanut oil.
Liam was completely aware. He was conscious and talking. He was trembling a bit and verbally telling saying he was experiencing symptoms.
"Unfortunately, the people working for the city can't deliver these life changing techniques for our children," the parent said. "What can we do to change that?"
Ashley Edwards is the Parks, Recreation, and Neighborhood Affairs director for the city.
She says while the circumstances are unfortunate her staff is well-equipped in these cases.
"Our staff routinely handles situations like that with the over 2 or 3,000 kids in our care during the summer," she said.
Edwards says administering something like an EpiPen is all situational, but the Tolia's worry staff might not know how to deal with a less obvious medical condition.
"Because our child uses an EpiPen, it might not necessarily be the same as 'Oh look, you have a fever, you need Tylenol, or even, you have a bone sticking out, you definitely need 911,'" the parent said.
The director said that "We do a debrief with our staff. We review all of the parameters, the actions that we took, all of the situations that we encounter to ensure that we're providing the best possible care for our campers."
The parents say they aren't trying to make trouble for the city: "In conversations that I've had with some of the representatives from the city, they say it has to be a life or death situation and I want to know where that gray area is."
The Tolia's want to spark discussion, with the goal of keeping kids safe.
