When Gaming Really Helps Asthma Kids

Confession: on a flight, with no wifi, I succumbed to playing with the Wizdy Pet Game App. After speaking to one of the developers, I realized this was not a fly-by-night video game that would bore children and miss the precious opportunity to inspire and engage kids to understand and manage their asthma. Let’s face the sobering statistics: Asthma is the Number ONE reason for missed school days in the US. This very serious disease is sorely mismanaged and it does kill unnecessarily.  I commit my time, money and energy to the American Lung Association on three levels (local, regional and national) since I understand the chaos asthma brings into our lives. Needless to say, I am an asthma education snob. Did I mention I am Open Airways for School instructor (insert-egads, she is a pill about asthma)? I am happy to report that Wizdy Pets passed the test with flying colors!

I applaud Wizdy Pets Asthma Apps for a few reasons…

• The Developers reached out to top physicians from Harvard Medical School and Boston Children’s Hospital, in other words, they did their homework well.
• They also researched the best methods to motivate children and realized that using a familiar gaming platform would create the path to education, hence the bright colored friendly game.
• The game keeps improving (or that could be my own skill set growing) as Wizdy Pets is committed to continual improvements (Wizdy Pets used to be Wellapets).
• Their blog is a good read with rock solid suggestions and information.
• I earned badges while I slashed asthma triggers, earned points so I could buy inhalers, food and even decorative items for my Wizdy Pet’s room.
• I learned about when to use maintenance and rescue inhalers.
• The match the trigger name game was one of my favorites!
• The game demonstrating how to use the spacer got me! I missed two steps.
• I fought triggers, learned how to avoid them while “buying” a very nice top hat for my pet.
• I enjoyed the slashing sounds made as my swift finger chopped away at triggers.
• The App kept me busy on the flight home.
• The App is free! Note: I don’t know if there are plans for it to be a paid App.

All in all, this App was a big winner.
Second confession: I never did pass my phone over to my daughter. I was obsessed with the match the trigger name game.
Bravo and congratulations Wizdy Pets for stepping up to the Asthma Education plate with a viable tool that I am happy to tell the world about! Word on the street is that a food allergy App is coming and I can’t wait to check it out.
Disclaimer: I spoke to Nikita at Wizdy Pets to learn more. I was not paid to say fantastic, okay or even meh things about Wizdy Pets. I’m a hardcore asthma education fan of Wizdy Pets now.