Malachi's asthma is serious, and in the past he frequently ended up in hospital and developed pneumonia during the winters. Malachi and his family were only managing from crisis-to-crisis, with no proper plan in place.
Malachi now has an asthma plan which he and his family follow. Through the guidance of their asthma nurse Sharani at Taranaki Hospital, they have become educated in managing Malachi’s asthma much more effectively. He only had one hospital visit in 2015, which is a big improvement from recent years.
Malachi's grandmother Vicki says,
As a family we are becoming more educated and able to manage without escalating crisis. Bouts of breathlessness and coughing are recognised earlier and the plan is actioned.
Malachi can now understand some of the triggers and helps his family to recognise the signs that he is not coping effectively. He understands that the cold wind affects his breathing and will come inside. Malachi also takes his inhalers, counts his puffs and lets his family know if it has not been done properly.
The improvement in Malachi's health has allowed him to attend school more frequently, and the teachers have started to see progress in his learning.
Malachi doesn't let his condition hold him back, and lives a very active life. He enjoys swimming lessons, is a great cricket player, and has done very well in cross country.
Malachi came second in his first school cross country, when he only had to stop to get his breath once.
Swimming is important to Malachi and unfortunately it was an activity he could not participate in often as he had no breath. He is now becoming a confident regular swimmer at a private swimming school where the water is warmer and he can enjoy being part of a class and shooting off in the water.
Malachi also enjoys mega bounce and is quite skilled at riding his bike, remembering to come inside when it is windy.
“Malachi’s extremely confident in sports, and the joy it brings to him when he has completed a game of cricket is just awesome. We are all looking to enjoy more involvement in the community rather then being extremely ill and missing out on being an active 6 year old child," says Vicki.
To help manage you or a family members' asthma, it's important to have an asthma plan in place. See your doctor and ask for an asthma plan.
If you or someone you know with a respiratory condition has a story to share, please email marketing@asthmaandrespiratory.org.nz and you could be featured here too!
