Asthma Healing

Active. This one word defines 11-year-old Hannah. She's an avid young athlete competing provincially in both gymnastics and swimming. In addition, Hannah's involved in soccer and basketball teams at school and she loves 4-H.

Hannah is like other healthy, active girls her age except, Hannah has asthma.

Around the age of five, Hannah began experiencing constant coughing at night during the springtime. It wasn't until two years later, when Hannah's mom was diagnosed with asthma at age 32, that it was discovered Hannah was also suffering the same symptoms.

Once diagnosed, Hannah's social life became affected. She was no longer invited to birthday parties or sleepovers because parents were afraid she would have an asthma attack. Hannah felt left out.

To remedy this, Hannah began volunteering with the Lung Association and had her first Camp Treasure Chest-A Camp for Kids with Asthma experience at age nine. She has been to Camp twice, starred as the Breathe Easy Bracelet poster child and became a Junior Ambassador for asthma in Nova Scotia. Hannah learned to accept her asthma and can now explain the conditions related to this lung disease to those around her.

With medication and a few lifestyle changes-finding new homes for her pets-asthma no longer slows Hannah down. She is a recipient of the 2007 Fair Play Award for gymnastics and she earned a silver medal in competitive swimming for the 100m race in 2005.

Hannah wants to be an actress when she grows up and she knows asthma will not prevent her from doing just that!