Lung Health News, Spring / Summer 2004
When Tresa and Dave Ramirez were told their son has asthma, the two were dumbfounded. They thought only "weak" children get asthma and Jonah, 8, is an active child who plays hockey, soccer and baseball and loves to inline skate.
But a year after the troubling diagnosis, the Ramirez family has learned a lot about the lung disease, which afflicts an estimated 2.5 million Californians, and Jonah has become an advocate, testifying before policymakers and speaking to anyone who will listen about the need to clean up our air.
"I am a victim of a crime. It is a crime when people, including kids, are forced to breathe air that makes them sick," says Jonah, who became an Asthma Ambassador for the American Lung Association of the Inland Counties last summer. Since then he has been working hard to raise awareness about the serious impact air pollution has on health.
"Why is it OK for the air I breathe to be so unhealthy?" Jonah asked members of the California Air Resources Board at a hearing last October when he spoke on behalf of the American Lung Association. "Change the law. Change the guidelines. Change our air."
Jonah and other environmental and health advocates were able to convince the air board that tougher measures were needed in Southern California to reduce air pollution by more than 250 tons a day in the next three years. The second-grader lives in the Southern California city of San Bernardino, where air pollution levels are among the worst in the nation.
A study released last year shows that healthy children who play three outdoor sports in areas with high ozone levels are three times more likely to develop asthma than children who play outdoor sports in areas with lower levels. The results clearly indicate that air pollution may actually cause asthma in otherwise healthy children.
"He's that kid," says Tresa, who is convinced air pollution caused her son's asthma. "Jonah has asthma because he is outdoors all the time."
Air Pollution Hurts People with Asthma
Ozone air pollution, a main ingredient in smog, is a potent respiratory irritant that is worse during the warm summer months when children are outside more often. Ozone can actually burn the lining of the lungs, causing serious breathing problems.
Even if air pollution doesn't actually cause asthma, there is no disputing that it makes the symptoms worse. On smoggy days, Jonah must use his inhaler more often and sometimes his parents ask the school to keep him indoors.
"I start breathing heavy and coughing when the air is bad," says Jonah.
Motor vehicle exhaust from gas and diesel-powered engines is the largest contributor to ozone and other air pollutants, including particles in the air that can be inhaled into the lungs called particulate matter air pollution. The American Lung Association is working hard to reduce air pollution by advocating for cleaner alternatives such as electric, natural gas, and electric-gasoline hybrid vehicles.
"Jonah is fine when the air is good," Tresa says. "But when the air quality is bad, he is sick."
Articulate Kid Raises More than Awareness
Jonah first became involved with the American Lung Association at school through the organization's Open Airways For Schools program, which helped him learn to better manage his disease. Since then, he has raised more than just awareness about asthma. He is also on a mission to raise much-needed funds for the lung disease, which has grown in epidemic proportions over the last two decades.
He was the number one fundraiser for the American Lung Association of the Inland Counties' Asthma Walk last September in Riverside. He single-handedly raised $1,167 and sent out more than 80 letters promoting the event. Asthma Walks are held every year by American Lung Associations across the nation. For a walk near you, call your local American Lung Association at .800.LUNG.USA or visit www.californialung.org.
"I just want to do something about asthma," Jonah says.
