I am taking a calculated guess that this Dateline Investigation, Breathless, to be aired this Sunday, January 5th, 2014 is going to be very alarming. Breathless is about childhood asthma and the disproportionate increase when the children are living in poverty. Lester Holt takes Dateline on a year long journey as they follow two families who struggle to keep their asthmatic families healthy while battling landlords. The previews look fascinating and I’m thrilled to see media attention about childhood asthma and poverty. Did you know that asthma is the number one reason for missed school days?
SNEAK PEEK of Breathless… Childhood Asthma and Poverty
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Imagine a child growing up in an environment where mold is rampant and mold is their asthma trigger. This translate into wheezing and struggling to breathe. If they are living in poverty, then they are at the mercy of landlords. If the family can not afford to move then they are stuck with a chronic health condition that can kill their child. This just breaks my heart to no end. I watched my children struggle with asthma while living in a nice mold and dust free cozy home with parents using asthma friendly laundry detergent and bedding. I can’t imagine a child living directly with their asthma trigger in a poverty situation.
I hope Breathless- a Dateline Investigation will make a difference and help be one of the many steps of positive change in helping children with asthma who live in poverty.
http://www.broadwayworld.com/bwwtv/article/NBCs-DATELINE-to-Investige-AsthmaPoverty-Link-15-20131220
One of the hardest things I find about managing both life threatening food allergies and asthma is talking to others. I hate to be the one that might be perceived as demanding, pushing or for asking too much. What I now know, fourteen years later, is that honest, clear information presented with kindness works!..