Control Asthma Now! Teens Section




About AHS \| Services \| Public Health \| e-Health Info \| Patient Resources \| Jobs \| Future Growth \| News & Media

Teen Asthma Page

Airsquare.ca

Device Demo Movies

Teen Interviews

Teen Profiles

Puffer Pete Movie

Teens

In the summer of 2003, a group of five teens designed and launched a website for teens as part of a summer student healthcare internship project. This teen section is the result of their creative efforts.
You can control your asthma!

Device Demo	Airsquare.ca	Teen Interviews	Teen Profiles-Real Life	Puffer Pete Movie
Click here to review our Reprint Policy

Movies
Note: Both of these movies are large files and may take some time to load. A zipped version of both movies are available for download.

Teen Interviews
| Click to View (25MB) | Click to Download (20MB) |
On a more serious note, these interviews are a display of the realities of asthma. In this movie, you will find many different teens, who all share one thing in common... they have all been affected by asthma.

Puffer Pete's Movie
| Click to View (20MB) | Click to Download (15MB) |
Once upon a time, in a land far, far away, lived a puffer named Pete. Puffer Pete's greatest aspiration was to become a superhero. Growing up as a puffer, Pete learned all about asthma: what it was, its triggers, how to treat it. As a special feature, we have decided to follow Puffer Pete around for a day, and watch him as he battles his evil nemesis, Asthma.

No matter your age, sex, religion, race or creed, asthma can affect you or someone you love. Asthma is a chronic illness and effects up to twenty percent of our population. Being a teen with asthma means having the initiative and responsibility to take control of your health and conquer any problems so you can do what you want when you want. Asthma should be the last thing that stands between you and your aspirations. With so many things going on body, mind, and soul it is easy to be distracted from your asthma needs. Control your asthma, don’t let it control you. Don’t become a statistic - live and breathe free!

Back to Top
Teen Profiles-Real Lives
	Deighten age: 13 Severity: Mild Interests: Biking, wrestling, volleyball, and soccer. Being the youngest of a sibling trip of asthma sufferers, Deighten has seen the affects of asthma. Luckily his asthma is very mild and is activity induced. He only requires his medication when he feels it is needed. Deighten knows that asthma has no chance of standing in his way. There are no excuses when it comes to this band of siblings. Asthma is something they have worked at to control, and they are doing a model job. Not only do they feel great about themselves, but the hospital is no longer a place that knows them by name. Asthma only becomes a problem if you allow it to conquer your life and limit all you are capable of. Back to Top
	Leilynn age 16 Severity: Severe as a child, currently moderate Interests: Track and field and music Meeting with Leilynn a couple of times it is obvious she has had her share of asthma attacks and issues growing up, including experiences of spending months at a time in the hospital with her younger sister Sheiann. Leilynn had been attack free for six years but that didn’t happen over night. Being smart about her asthma, knowing her triggers, taking her medication and respecting her limits has become as routine as brushing her teeth. Teenage years are characterized about experimentation and exploring the unknown. Many teens will try and continue to smoke or try drugs even if they are asthmatic. But things are simple for Leilynn, being aware of the consequences of her actions, she knows that without your healthy body there is not much left over. We all know how bad smoking is for you; just imagine what that does to an asthma sufferer. Her parents have said that they will stop paying for her medication if she ever decided to pick up the habit. For Leilynn, all it took was some common sense to recognize asthma does not limit what you can do as a teen but allows you to overcome adversity to take on any challenge mentally, emotionally or physically. Back to Top
	Celina age 16 Birth date: July 15, 1986 Severity: Severe Interests: Dancing and Music Celina was diagnosed with asthma when she was five years old. From then on, asthma has been a challenge in her life. She has two to three serious asthma attacks every year. Some of Celina’s main triggers are mold, animal dander and grass. Unfortunately, as Celina grows older, her asthma is becoming worse even though she uses better control than ever before. As a teen, asthma has affected her life negatively, and she feels that it holds her back from doing all she aspires. Although asthma may hold her back physically, Celina’s talents are beyond compare and extend past athletic activities such as football and rugby. Celina is an avid dancer, dancing for thirteen years of her life practicing 24 hours a week and is involved in piano and singing. In spite of her asthma, Celina has carried on a lot of responsibility as a teenager, leaving her in control and independent. For the past few years as her parents’ involvement in her daily life becomes less defined, she tracks her own asthma and is accountable for her daily medication. At the end of the day, ‘It’s up to you!’ Back to Top
	Mat age 16 Severity: Moderate Interests: Drama and Musical Theatre When something like asthma can threaten your way of life, it is most important to have an optimistic outlook. Mat has a past full of experiences and memories, but he still maintains allowing him to enjoy positive attitude about his asthma. He does not let his asthma influence his daily activities even though it can be serious. Mat is planning an excursion for the next six months, taking all the necessary precautions so he is not caught off guard by his asthma. Being more aware of his symptoms allows him to act more quickly and avoid a serious attack. When colds and air pressure changes occur, Mat is increasingly aware of his needs, as these are some of his main triggers. Last year he had quite an extreme year in terms of his asthma and was in the emergency about twice a week for a period of six months. Making the transition from having asthma as a child and having asthma as a teen has been quite a journey. Luckily Mat has a very supportive family life to help him deal with his asthma. His mom reminds him to take his medication like all mothers do and is always there when he is feeling the affects after attacks to refuel some of his energy at a local fast food joint. Asthma can be tough to control but it’s something to be taken in strides, one day at a time so he doesn’t miss a step. Back to Top
	Marina age 21 Severity: Mild Interests: Music, Swimming, Track and Field Hockey Being a dedicated graduating international baccalaureate student and band member of The Calgary Youth Orchestra, Marina leads a busy but exciting life. With a future full of so many possibilities, Marina keeps a very positive outlook on her health by always taking care of herself and working on extending her ‘limits’. This year Marina participated on the Cross Country Running Team and even though it was the activity that most threatened her asthma condition, she was able to pull through successfully with determination and proper care before and after activities. Marina also plays field hockey and swims. Asthma did not limit Marina’s lifestyle, instead, it propelled her to excel in different areas and motivating her to do things she would not have normally done. Her simple approach to asthma leaves her life uncomplicated by problems that can escalate if not taken care of. Knowing your limits and exploring how far you can push yourself in certain situations leaves you in control.
*Page Last Updated* December 2009

Privacy/Disclaimer | Regional Policies | Optimized Viewing | Contact