Life with asthma can be a struggle. As a child, I remember the fear of my chest tightening and suddenly finding it difficult to breathe. I remember feeling left out when activities with family or friends seemed beyond reach because they could trigger my symptoms. Those experiences stayed with me, even after treatment helped bring my asthma under better control.
They also inspired My Life as an Asthmanaut, a children’s picture book that I hope can help families start an important conversation this September: how do we help children with asthma feel safe, understood and ready to participate in the world around them?
That question connects directly with the Lung Health Foundation’s September Spike campaign. The “September Spike” is the increase in children’s asthma attacks and flare-ups following the return to school. Respiratory viruses, seasonal allergens, indoor triggers and disruptions to asthma management over the summer can all contribute. LHF’s campaign asks families and educators to consider what might be missing from their back-to-school asthma preparations.
Alongside those essential preparations, I hope we can make room to ask children how they are feeling.
When Free Spirit Publishing, an imprint of Teacher Created Materials, offered me the opportunity to write a book inspired by my experience with chronic illness, I wanted to create something that would have reassured me as a child. Part of its Disability Books for Kids series, My Life as an Asthmanaut is a nonfiction picture book that uses an imaginative space metaphor to explore the emotional experience of asthma.
A young astronaut drifting far from Earth with an empty air tank captures something I found difficult to explain growing up: the fear of struggling to breathe and the loneliness of feeling separated from everyone else. The story gives children a way to recognize and talk about those feelings, while reminding them that support is closer than it may seem.
That reassurance matters when children return to classrooms, playgrounds and activities. A child may worry about having symptoms around new classmates, needing an inhaler in front of friends or telling a teacher that something is wrong. Reading together can open a conversation about concerns that might otherwise go unspoken.
The book also explores bravery. For me, that included learning to feel comfortable using an inhaler. As a child, I worried about operating it incorrectly. I want young readers to know that asking questions, practising with a knowledgeable adult and speaking up when they need help are all things to feel proud of.
This is where the story’s message meets practical September Spike preparedness. LHF encourages families to have a written Asthma Action Plan completed with their healthcare provider, use controller medication as prescribed and ensure quick access to a reliever inhaler. Reviewing inhaler technique and making sure caregivers understand the plan are important parts of preparing for school.
A book can help children feel more comfortable having these conversations and asking for support. Its role is to encourage understanding alongside the individualized guidance families receive from healthcare professionals.
After the story, a glossary provides accessible information about asthma, its triggers and management. Children without asthma can learn, too. Understanding why a classmate needs medication or help from an adult can encourage kindness and inclusion. The moment when my character supports another child with asthma reinforces that empathy has a place in everyone’s life.
Most of all, I want children to understand that asthma does not diminish their curiosity, creativity, interests or potential. They deserve opportunities to participate, appropriate care and people who listen when they say they are struggling.
September Spike is a timely reminder to check both our preparations and our assumptions about what children need. Through My Life as an Asthmanaut, I hope to support that awareness and help young readers feel more confident, more connected and a little less alone.
