I have had asthma since I was 4 years old. I missed a lot of school and grew up carrying my Ventolin puffer everywhere I went. Despite frequent illness and relying heavily on my reliever medication, I was able to live a very active childhood.
It was while sitting in a lecture about the respiratory system in my second year of university that I realised people with asthma should be using their Ventolin less than twice per week. I had already used mine twice that day!
The opportunity to learn in depth about the respiratory system, medications and management changed my trajectory. Had I continued to rely so heavily on my reliever medication, I would have risked serious life threatening flare ups and irreversible lung damage. Instead, I changed my medication, started using a preventer and couldn't believe the improvement in my sleep and quality of life.
Following completion of my nursing degree, I started my career in Emergency Nursing, eventually completing a Post Graduate Certificate in Emergency Nursing. During my time working in the Emergency Department I nursed countless children with asthma whose parents were unsure how to manage asthma at home, didn't know when they should come to emergency or when it was safe to manage at home. Parents who, through no fault of their own hadn't done enough at home or had waited too long before coming in to hospital.
In 2007 I became one of the first Paediatric Asthma Educators at Monash Health where I spent 14 years working with families of children who had been admitted to hospital.
During this time, I began to see a pattern emerge - children were being treated for viral triggered wheeze and asthma but their parents weren't receiving the support and education they needed. Medical and nursing staff simply didn't have the time. This was resulting in emergency visits and hospitalisations which could have been prevented if these families felt empowered through support and education.
Meanwhile I was lucky enough to welcome two daughters to complete our family, one born in 2010 and one in 2012. My first daughter showed no signs of asthma early on so I thought we were in the clear! However she developed severe seasonal hay fever at age 8 which also caused hay fever triggered asthma and eventually, preventer medication. My second daughter had bronchiolitis, viral triggered wheeze and asthma from birth which has greatly improved as she has gotten older and now no longer requires preventer medication,
I know first hand, from a parent, patient and practitioner
perspective how important asthma education and support is to families. I wanted to be able provide this service for parents BEFORE they ended up in hospital if possible, not after! So, Breathe Easier was born.
Breathe Easier provides you with everything you need to feel empowered to manage your child's asthma now and into the future.