How One Family Turned Their Home Into an Asthma Safe Space

Controlling common triggers in the household can make a world of difference for asthma sufferers. Read about the steps the McDaniels took to ease daily life for their son Kaleb.

When he was four years old, Kaleb McDaniel suffered a severe respiratory illness that left him fighting for his life. After an initial diagnosis of influenza, additional tests revealed he had pneumonia in his lung that was spreading to his heart, a condition that required emergency surgery.

A challenging recovery

The surgery was a success, but Kaleb still fought in the hospital, for the next five weeks, to recover from the ordeal. And the illness had lasting effects: He left the hospital with 20 percent less lung capacity and a chronic case of asthma.

Upon returning home, Kaleb’s parents, Jeremy and Nina McDaniel, knew they needed to make changes to help manage his asthma symptoms and eliminate anything that could trigger a flare-up.

Research showed them that common triggers include dust mites, cockroaches, pollen, pet hair, dander and mold — and that eliminating these substances could go a long way in helping Kaleb live comfortably with the disease.

A dual approach

They tested their home for mold, gases and anything else that could negatively affect his breathing, and eventually decided to remove the carpet in the house so there would be fewer surfaces to which offending particles could adhere. “Our neighbors thought we were nuts. After all, we lived in a very new home at that time,” recalls Nina.

They also purchased a high-performance air purifier designed to remove airborne par- ticles that could trigger Kaleb’s asthma. The combination of the allergen-free home environment and medical-grade air purification helped Kaleb’s lungs recover further, so now he and his parents can better manage the disease in his daily life.

“Between the air cleaner and the carpet being gone, Kaleb was getting better in a matter of days,” Nina says. “It has changed our son’s life for the better.”

The combination of the allergenfree home environment and medical-grade air purification helped Kaleb’s lungs recover further…