Lung Health News, Spring/Summer 2006
When Allie Fasth first attended Camp Wheez at age 7, she felt like she fit in. At school, she had a hard time keeping up with the other kids. But at asthma camp, it was a more level playing field.
“I was glad to be with other kids like me who had asthma,” she says. “Camp really made a difference for me.”
So when Fasth entered high school, she decided to become a Camp Wheez counselor and help other kids with the lung disease. The weeklong asthma day camp, operated by the American Lung Association of Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties, is held each August and provides a fun summer camp experience while teaching children how to better manage their asthma. Campers enjoy arts and crafts, play games, and learn about their lungs.
“Before, I didn’t want to go to my friend’s house because they have animals and it makes my asthma worse,” Fasth says. “At camp I learned about triggers and how to use my medications to control my symptoms.”
Asthma is an inflammatory disease that causes the airways to constrict, making it difficult to breathe. There is no cure for the chronic lung disease, but it can be controlled with medication and by reducing exposure to triggers that cause the airways to become irritated such as secondhand smoke, dust, animal dander, mold, pollen, pesticides, and air pollution.
Jerry Wei also returned to Camp Wheez as a counselor after attending the camp for five years as a child. The high school senior has been a volunteer counselor for four years and loves working with the kids.
“I enjoy connecting with the kids and watching them learn how their lungs work,” he says. “As a child, my favorite part of camp was when we got to touch the lung specimen, and now my favorite part is showing it to the kids.”
Asthma Management Skills Improve Life
Camp Wheez is one of the many American Lung Association asthma camps offered around the state, including both day and residential camps. While activities vary at the different camps, the goal is the same – teach kids how to live better quality lives by controlling their asthma symptoms.
“You learn how to have a good life with asthma,” says Fasth, now 19 and attending Santa Barbara City College.
When children can manage their disease, they suffer fewer and less severe episodes, which keeps them out of the emergency room and in the classroom. Asthma is a leading cause of missed school days and hospital visits among children.
Better asthma management also reduces the impact on our communities and healthcare system. Asthma rates have nearly doubled in the last two decades, with an estimated 1million California children living with the disease.
“I know what they’re going through,” Fasth says about the campers she’s helped. “They can see me as an example and know they will grow up and be just fine.”
