I realized something the other day. According to the magazines about diabetes that my mother receives, about 24 million Americans have diabetes. Some portion of that is comprised of children, though Im not sure just how many are kids. According to both webmd, and my “Asthma for Dummies” book (thanks Laurie) at least 22 million Americans have asthma, and at least roughly 5 million of those are children. It is The Most Common Chronic Illness Among Children.
That being said, I keep seeing “Walk for diabetes research”, “Walk to Cure Diabetes”, Mary Tyler Moore is frequently on the tv asking me to donate to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Fund to help children with diabetes…Now, dont get me wrong, I dont think these are BAD things. In fact, Im highly supportive of researching and finding a cure for this disease, that affects so many and has so many unpleasant to say the least effects on their day to day lives. However, I wonder, why dont I see this same focus on asthma?
I know its more personal to me so perhaps I feel strongly than others, perhaps you included my dear readers. But sheer numbers says the focus on asthma should at least be approaching the focus we have on diabetes. And its not. Not even close.
Perhaps its that we parents of asthmatic kids arent spending enough time advocating for more attention, research and funding… We should be. Our kids deserve the same attention, the same focus, the same devotion to researching new and better treatments and, God willing, someday a cure.
I propose, therefore, that we begin banding together. Think on this, share it with anyone you think its relevant to. Lets find a way to get these kids the same fighting chance that we give children affected by other chronic disorders…
Suggestions are welcomed and encouraged as always.
kerri Said:
on 19/01/2010 at 23:57
Hi there, I found your blog by way of Amy (The Asthma Mom).
I share in your frustrations about the lack of asthma advocacy out there. I think this is in part to asthma being considered “normal” and “manageable”, where as something like type one diabetes is somewhat rarer and, as I’d imagine, harder to get used to living with–and much more shocking to a person on the “outside”.
As an asthmatic, I am NOT saying that asthma is easy to live with, because you and I know that it’s not. But, that’s where the asthma miscomception comes in… the one that’s “take the blue inhaler and you’ll be fine”. They don’t see the control meds, the pills, the oral steroids.
But, it’s posts like these, and blogs like the ones we write that attempt to get asthma into the light, and get people thinking “Yeah, this is serious.” If 1 in 10 people had a visible disability (using a wheelchair, for instance), I’m sure people would take notice. It’s the invisibility of asthma that makes it harder for us to make our voices heard, because we don’t “look sick” (of course, I am grateful for this).
I definitely agree–we need to get this out in the open and take action on this invisible illness. Asthma research is improving every day . . . but, we need people to really “get it” now!
Thanks for this post, and keep at the advocacy,
–Kerri (Hold Your Breath to Breathe)
sammscott Said:
on 20/01/2010 at 18:07
The invisible status works against us i think, the only thing i could think to do was just start talking, asoften as i can, to everyone, everywhere, and not stop lol. hyperlexia for the win! so glad to see others think im on the right track!