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Advocates Urge Compassion During 'React With Respect' Food Allergy Awareness Week

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Every three minutes a food allergy reaction sends someone to the emergency room. It's a growing problem that could be life threatening for millions.

When it comes to protecting these people there is sometimes a shocking lack of compassion.

As CBS2's Dr. Max Gomez explained, there is a new movement growing around allergies.

The Food Allergy Research and Education Group has dubbed this week Food Allergy Awareness Week. They've made the theme this year 'React with Respect' when people with severe allergies need accommodation.

But respect is often what's missing.

The latest case of disrespect for people with food allergies came recently when a young family was told to get off their Allegiant Airlines flight because the captain felt it was unsafe to fly with a peanut allergic child.

The incident was followed by discouraging social media responses to the family's situation.

One poster said peanuts keep him calm. He asked why he would have to give them up when flying because of one child's allergies.

"They feel their right to eat peanuts pretty much trumps my child's right to breathe," Lianne Mandelbaum said.

Her son Josh is severely allergic to peanuts. She said he has gotten nasty responses and much more.

"It's so depressing. I get hate mail over my quest to make airline travel safer for all food allergic families and people say that Josh is meant to die so he won't pass on his defective genes. It's not just one or two like that, there are so many," she said.

Josh remembers a time when he was in his seat on an airplane and some passengers came up to his mom.

"And said if you think he's gonna die then don't get on the plane. It was really scary," he said.

The Mandlebaum's keep a strict peanut free home, but when they travel it's a different story. Like the time some kids who heard about Josh's allergy and started to throw peanuts at him.

"I don't know why they were doing it. It could've been to tease me," he said.

Allegiant did apologize to the Dana family, but it's an example of why the Food Allergy Research and Education Group is working to have food allergies included int he Americans With Disabilities Act. That would mean airlines and other public entities would have to make certain accommodations as they do for people with physical disabilities.

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