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“I went on autopilot. I just did what needed to be done and then it just hits you later.”
— Katelyn, mother to Kaden and Amelia who both live with asthma
When Katelyn’s daughter Amelia was just four years old, she had a severe asthma attack that changed everything. Katelyn found herself in the back of an ambulance, watching her little girl fight for every breath.
“It was just her and I at home,” Katelyn recalls. “I was trying to manage her asthma plan, giving her a puffer but she just wasn’t responding. She couldn’t talk through the attack, she was just focused on trying to breathe. I had to call an ambulance.”
By the time they reached the hospital, Amelia’s heart was racing at more than 200 beats per minute.
She was rushed into intensive care. Amelia has been in hospital seven times with asthma, twice in intensive care. For Katelyn, every day brings new worries, from managing medications to staying alert for triggers like smoke or pollen. And for her son Kayden, seeing his little sister struggle fills him with fear and anxiety too.
Our recent research, which investigated the hidden emotional toll of childhood asthma on families, shows just how important it is to have information and guidance available for people who are caring for their loved ones.
The study showed that 60% of parents of a child with asthma live in constant fear of an attack and nearly one in three (32%) feels emotionally drained.
This suggests that families like Katelyn’s live with more than just the medical management of asthma. They carry stress, fear, and trauma that affects every part of their lives. That’s why support from our Asthma Educators is so vital. They don’t just help families by providing information, explaining asthma medications and talking about action plans, they also support parents through the stress and anxiety that asthma brings.
Behind every asthma diagnosis is a family doing their best to stay strong. With your support, Asthma Australia’s Educators can give parents the confidence, emotional strength, and practical advice they need to care for their children and themselves. Your donation ensures no family faces asthma alone.
Asthma has an emotional toll on families
Amelia’s older brother Kaden also lives with asthma, though not as severe. He’s learned to recognise the signs in himself and takes his puffer before playing sport. But when he sees Amelia have a severe asthma attack, the panic overwhelms him, and he fears for his little sister. It just shows how the emotional toll can impact everyone in the family.
“My little sister gets sick a lot with asthma and she goes to hospital heaps. This makes me feel super sad and stressed so I really want to find a cure to make sure she’s safe and happy.”
Kaden raised more than $1,400 in an Asthma Australia event recently, showing just how powerful one young person’s action can be when driven by love, hope, and a fierce desire to make a difference. Kaden shows us the power of one young person’s action. Imagine what we can do together.
You Can Make A Difference.
Thanks to caring supporters like you, families like Katelyn’s can enjoy moments of fun, play and peace again. Managing asthma and living with less emotional stress. Together, we can make sure every child with asthma and every parent caring for them has the help they need to live well and breathe a little easier.
Your Support Makes a Lifesaving Difference.
Please donate to Asthma Australia. Your donations ensure that more people like Katelyn can access critical support from Asthma Educators, helping them manage their asthma, avoid future attacks, and feel empowered throughout their asthma journey.
