Ava: Sharing Her Asthma Treatment Journey to Help Others

Our experts can tell families a lot about their child's asthma diagnosis and the treatment to come. One thing they can't always tell them: how it will feel.

That's why we connected Ava, a patient with asthma experience, with Yaretzi, a patient recently diagnosed with asthma. Follow along as these families answer questions, ease fears and offer hope.

Meet Ava: Our patient with asthma experience

Ava was diagnosed with asthma four years ago, and now she's a 7-year-old expert. She and her mom, Angela, share the tips they've learned along the way.

Meet Yaretzi: Our patient recently diagnosed with asthma

Recently, our doctors confirmed what Yaretzi's mom, Claudia, has long suspected: Yaretzi has asthma. Now, they're ready to get her asthma under control.

It can be scary to learn your child has asthma, a chronic breathing condition that occurs when the airways in the lungs become swollen and make breathing difficult. However, receiving that diagnosis is the first step to helping them breathe better.

Angela and Claudia discuss the signs and symptoms that led them to suspect their children have asthma and how they began the treatment process. Watch as our families talk about their experience with asthma diagnosis.

Once your child has been diagnosed with asthma, it's time to create a plan to manage it. With the right team and treatment, your child can get back to the things they love.

Angela's daughter Ava was diagnosed with asthma at 3 years old. Now, 7-year-old Ava says that having asthma "isn't a big deal." Watch as our families talk about living with asthma and share their best tips and tricks for managing treatment.

Check out Angela's favorite tips for keeping kids with asthma healthy and happy.

• Follow a daily medication routine.

  We follow a nighttime routine to make sure we stay on top of Ava's medications. Before she brushes her teeth each night, we go down the line of her medications. I watch her take each one.

• Get your child an annual flu shot.

  Ava's asthma symptoms worsen when she is sick, so I do everything I can to keep her well. I get her a flu shot as early as possible each year.

• Keep an eye on changes in your child's skin coloring.

  I notice that Ava's skin color changes are a good indicator of how she is feeling. If I notice major changes, it's time to go indoors to get away from outdoor triggers.

• Teach your child how to take their medicines themselves.

  Ava is much better about taking her medications, like her inhaler and nasal spray, when she can administer them herself under my supervision. I keep old, empty inhalers for her to use for practice without wasting medicine.

• Use videos to teach your child how to use their medications.

  There are a lot of videos online that show you and your child how to take asthma medications like inhalers.

• Minimize as many triggers as possible at home.

  Ava's asthma is triggered by environmental factors like grass and mold. We minimize these triggers at home by replacing filters regularly, not allowing pets in her room, taking shoes off inside and not allowing smoking in our house.

• Make your child's medicines easily accessible.

  We keep Ava’s emergency medicines in one drawer so that we know exactly where to find them when we need them. We also have one backup refill of her emergency medicines in the drawer so that we are ready if she runs out.

• Meet with school staff to discuss your child's asthma plan.

  I was nervous about sending Ava to school because of her asthma. Meeting with the school staff made a huge difference. Request a meeting with your child's teacher, administrators and school nurse to make a school-specific asthma action plan.

• Call our nurse line if you have concerns.

  When I'm worried about Ava's breathing, I call the 24/7 Children's Colorado ParentSmart Healthline or pulmonology nurse line.