Results: Permission to Breathe
Emma Gonzales, a 9-year-old from Utah, experienced extreme coughing one weekend which landed her in the ER. She was giving an inhaler due to the trouble she had breathing during these coughing fits. On the following Monday she had another coughing fit at school. When she pulled out her inhaler, her teacher immediately took her to the office, where her inhaler was taken away from her. The staff said that because her name was not on it and her parents hadn't filled out the proper paperwork, they could not let her have the medication.
1.
1.
Are you familiar with this news story? Yes
9%
•
133 votes
No
84%
•
1278 votes
Not Applicable
7%
•
107 votes
2.
2.
Do you think the school was right? Yes, they have to follow the same protocol for everyone.
11%
•
167 votes
No, the child clearly was in need. She could have died!
57%
•
872 votes
I'm not sure.
18%
•
270 votes
n/a
13%
•
195 votes
Other (please specify)
1%
•
14 votes
| Other Answers | Percentage | Votes |
| 0.26% | 4 | |
| idiocy | 0.07% | 1 |
| is this the whole story, i can't even believe that is possible. | 0.07% | 1 |
| yes, medication needs to have the childs name but they should have called the parents to verify and if the child was in distress call an ambulance or something! | 0.07% | 1 |
| should have called the child's doctor or parent immediately if they would not give her back her inhaler. | 0.07% | 1 |
| they have to follow protocol but they should have called the parents. | 0.07% | 1 |
| they should a call her partent | 0.07% | 1 |
| more info needed | 0.07% | 1 |
| a | 0.07% | 1 |
| these situations are really tricky. no one wants to get fired at work but obviously the childs health should be the main priority. i hate that jobs make people act like this. the parents should have taken care of the paper work though. | 0.07% | 1 |
| should have brought her to the nurse's office not the main principal's office | 0.07% | 1 |
3.
3.
Most people recognize that the schools have these rules for safety reasons. But Emma ended up coughing so hard that she threw up on herself. Do you think the staff should have made an exception in this case? Yes
64%
•
972 votes
No
9%
•
134 votes
Undecided
16%
•
239 votes
Not Applicable
11%
•
173 votes
4.
4.
Has your child ever been denied medication because you hadn't taken the proper steps for it to be allowed at school? Yes
6%
•
86 votes
No
43%
•
646 votes
Undecided
6%
•
90 votes
Not Applicable
46%
•
696 votes
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