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Three of Simone’s children have been to emergency with asthma.
Three of Simone’s five children have asthma, and managing asthma has been a learning curve for the family.
Her daughter started coughing at preschool and was officially diagnosed at five years. Simone worked out that pollen was her only trigger and she was able to manage her asthma by treating her allergy symptoms.
Not long after, her oldest son was unwell, and Simone noticed his lips started to look blue. She asked him if he was finding it hard to breathe, and he said yes.
She decided to try giving him his sister’s reliever, and it seemed to make a difference. They headed to hospital where he was diagnosed and when they followed up with their doctor he was put on a preventer. While pollen triggers his sister’s asthma, his triggers are viruses and colds and physical activity.
Her younger son also started to show signs of wheeze when he got colds. Since they had plenty of asthma experience as a family, they knew what to look out for!
Simone and her kids, 2015
Simone and her kids, 2026
Part of the learning curve of managing asthma has been remembering to carry a puffer and spacer with them at all times.
Once when travelling, they visited a park to play and one of her sons started having trouble breathing. But they had left their puffer and spacer at home. Thankfully, after asking everyone at the park, a lovely lady with asthma ran home and cycled back with a puffer and spacer. He improved immediately after his reliever puffer and they drove to the pharmacy for a puffer.
With the vast impacts on her family Simone joined the board of Asthma Foundation ACT and now Asthma Australia, and is the board representative for the Consumer Advisory Council.
Help people living with asthma breathe easier
Our Consumer Advisory Council members share their lived experience to help improve support for people with asthma. Your donation helps Asthma Australia provide information, support and advocacy for the nearly 2.8 million Australians living with asthma.
