Her children, nieces, nephews, and mother also have asthma.
My story is really my sons story.
His name is Anthony.
Photo Courtesy of Laonis Quinn / Designed by Zoe Hansen / Verywell
We call him Tony.
Tony was diagnosed withasthmawhen he was 18 months old.
I knew he had it way before that.
I have it, too.
A lot of our family members do, but his was always much more severe.
He was sick all of the time.
His medications would change often.
Nowadays, kids are allowed to carry their rescue inhalers with them.
We had great care for a while.
There was a pediatric pulmonologist [a physician specializing in respiratory conditions] who saw Tony for seven years.
I would call her at 3 a.m. if Tony was having trouble breathing, and she would answer.
She would call back to verify he was OK.
When she retired, I was heartbroken.
But we stayed at her clinic because I didnt think to go anywhere else.
I begged them to still see him and not kick us out.
They knew him his entire life and understood the level of care he needed.
They directed me to a free clinic.
The ER became our treatment clinic.
Im OK, Mommy, Tony would give a shot to convince me with every asthma attack.
But even though he was a grown man, he didnt get to do grown man things.
He was sick very often, and he depended on us a lot.
I tried to get him on Medicaid or on disability, but nothing worked.
About a year after we started going to the free clinic, Tony passed away from an asthma attack.
Coping With the Loss of My Son
I felt like I let him down.
[I thought,] “How did you let this happen?
You take care of sick people every day.
But this kid lives with you and you failed him.
“I told this to myself for so long that I wanted to kill myself.
I was so guilt-ridden about not being able to save my child.
For years, I couldnt say his name or look at pictures of him.
I dont know if you ever heal after burying your child.
I dont know if you really feel free after that.
During one of my shifts, I saw another nurse whom I worked with.
I never knew her name, but we were friendly.
Somehow we started talking about Tony, and she suggested that I start a foundation.
I wanted to do something to honor Tony, but I had no idea how to start a foundation.
So I asked for help.
Turning Pain Into Purpose
I started theBreathe Anthony J. Capman Asthma Foundationin 2019.
I ended up getting a masters degree and an asthma certification so that I can teach asthma education.
A huge part of my work is education and access.
These tools make a huge difference for children with asthma.
I met one mom who has four boys with asthma and only one nebulizer.
That should never happen.
I like talking to other mothers who have lost their babies because I know where they are.
I still sit where they sit because its a day-by-day process of trying to heal.
I tell them that they just have to move through it.
I talk to him like hes sitting next to me, and thats been helpful.
Understanding the Threat of Asthma
Asthma deaths should never happen.
I dont care if youre Black, White, blue, or greendoesnt matter what color you are.
We know too much nowadays to lose people to asthma.
A lot of the time people think their asthma is gone, or that its very mild.
But an asthma attack can be triggered by anything.
Sometimes you dont know something is a trigger until you cant breathe.
My foundation does YouTube videos to help educate parents.
I cant say it enough: Know your childs triggers.
Know what signs to look for.
Asthma affects everyone differently.
For some people, its a runny nose, coughing, or wheezing.
Even a small change in their behavior can signal that something is wrong.
Seeing Disparities Firsthand
I live in Detroit, and asthma is a problem there.
Theres a room in the Childrens Hospital of Detroit called the “asthma room.”
Its full of mothers holding their babies who are getting breathing treatments.
Theres a ZIP code, 48017, thats highly polluted from all of the factories.
Its an asthma nightmare.
The people who live there are stuck there.
A lot of homes are old, moldy, have old carpets, and sometimes cockroaches.
Laonis Quinn
Its hard to get out of poverty, and Detroit is predominantly Black.
Detroit has the 15th highest rate of asthma in the United States.
Most of the specialty doctors, like asthma or allergy specialists, are not in the inner city.
They are out in the suburbs.
If you dont have a car, then you dont have access to those doctors.
Or, if youre in the rural areas and theres no public transportation, then youre stuck.
Ive met mothers like that.
They love their children, but they are stuck in their environments.
With my insurance, its still $173 a month.
Thankfully, I have a good job, but thats still a lot of money.
Its hard to get out of poverty, and Detroit is predominantly Black.
This is how disparities exist.
Moving Forward for Tony
I know this happened to Tony for a purpose.
I know Im here to help other children like Tony.
The biggest takeaway from my journey with my son is to do your best.
Taking care of someone with a severe illness is not easy.
If you need any help, or for more information on asthma, visitBreathe Anthony J. Chapman Foundation.
Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America.Asthma symptoms.
Global Allergy and Airways Patient Platform.Asthma at night: causes, symptoms, treatment and more information.
2021;13(2):e13498.
Published 2021 Feb 22. doi:10.7759/cureus.13498
Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.Detroit: The current status of asthma burden.
