As everyone is opening their windows and venturing outside in their shorts and t-shirts, we close up shop here on the home front. By that I mean, we have to keep the windows and screen doors to our home shut. As an added precaution, we also need to keep the door to my son’s room closed to deter dust from other parts of the home from entering his sleeping space.
It's always been difficult during the warm summer months to tell my young son that he can't play outside for long as the other children in our neighborhood often do. Having him shower and change his clothes when he returns home from playing outdoors is often met with a struggle. Yet, it's critical that we take these precautionary steps to not contaminate our home environment with the kinds of allergens that easily attach to your hair and clothes when outdoors.
We do everything we can to help my son get through the spring and summer months, so that he doesn't have to suffer a severe asthma attack, which he has been hospitalized for on three terrifying occasions. The scariest part is listening for your child's next breath and not knowing if it's going to come. That's really what it comes down to when you have a child with asthma, and it's so incredibly frightening.
No child should have to suffer from this disease. That is why I can't understand why some in Congress are working so hard to gut the Clean Air Act. My son needs healthy air to simply maintain his quality of life. My family and I will continue to fight for air until we can ensure my son has a future where he can finally breathe easier.
