Severe peanut allergy and 8 years old?

My Granddaughter is 6 years old and has a severe peanut allergy. This makes it very hard on her parents to purchase everything from ready to eat foods or to go out to eat at restaurants. Now, she has developped an aversion to eating anywhere but home. She's afraid to touch anyone or kiss them for fear that they MIGHT have eaten something with peanuts in them.(Refused to kiss her GreatGrandma.)She has epipens and has been instructed how to use them, but now this fear has manifested in her that she's afraid to die. It started with some kids at school teasing her about her allergy. The school is a nut-free zone and the teachers are all aware of the issue. We're wondering if there's a support group around that she could talk to or camp around that she could go to. We live in Campbellford, Ontario, Canada. Please help.

I know how she feels, I'm 18 and have had a severe peanut allergy since birth, we found out when I went into anaphylactic shock when I was 3. I carry epipens on me too. It is hard to purchase foods and to go to restraunts, but I get by through reading packaging and asking waiters to check with the chef if I can eat the dish. I guess the whole afraid to die thing is kinda not so bad for me as I've already been there (I had a flatline for a couple mins). Kids at school I delt with my own way (I was also bullied for being short as I am only 5'2") ...but I really wouldn't reccommend that way. As long as she has a good crowd of friends to be around her who understand the dangers and are willing to not eat peanuts around her, she will do fine. Education is the key to it all. People can reassure her that they havent eaten anything with peanuts in. I don't know if it is just me, but I have a phenominal sense of smell regarding peanuts, I discovered one of my parents friends had eaten peanuts when I smelt them on him...he had eaten them the previous night, it was after lunch the next day! Good luck with everything! I don't know about canada but heres a great website from the UK. http://www.anaphylaxis.org.uk/

If you would like to talk things over please don't hesitate to email!
Izzie

Dr MALCO`Here UK`have you tried`giving her some`Coconut`Water`works`wonders`2 small glasses a week`

I've had a severe peanut allergy since I was born. Kids in school used to tease me by holding a peanut butter sandwich up to my nose to see if I would react.

I don't know if there is a camp, but tell her that as long as she has an Epi-pen, she'll be fine, and she can tell if someone has eaten peanuts; I can smell peanut butter from six seats away.