‘Take action on asthma’
EACH time Basil and Corina Epiha rush their sons off to hospital with an asthma attack they worry about the worstcase scenario.
It is four years since they lost Bryn, 8, to an asthma attack and the family still face difficulties.
With their eldest sons Evan, 9, Kieran, 8 and Ashton, 6, all in hospital at some stage last year with flare-ups, they face these difficulties regularly.
The difference is they know how to handle an attack.
Now they are calling for mandatory training for teachers so they are prepared.
The Asthma Foundation estimates at least 70,000 students and about 5000 teachers in Queensland have asthma.
A teacher, Mr Epiha said he has seen the inability of other teachers to deal with children suffering from an attack.
And just as there are regula- tions about peanut allergies in schools, he said the same should be done for asthma because statistics showed the respiratory condition killed one person each day.
“It’s not compulsory for staff to be trained in asthma awareness or asthma support,” Mr Epiha, of Upper Coomera, said.
“The general view is have your asthma inhaler and you’ll be fine.
“We’ve already lost one son, we don’t want to lose another and I’d hate for any other parent to go through what my wife and I went through.”
The couple have two youn- ger children, Dayne, 4 and Scarlett, 2, who have not been diagnosed with asthma so far.
“I would rather it be mandatory because if we mandate things in schools for peanut allergies or make sure teachers are aware of ASD and special needs, why don’t we have it for asthma?” he said.
“It’s not a priority, and to me it’s unfair, because I deal with students.
“Now that I’ve lost a child, if I hear someone have an asthma attack, I’m very cautious.
“Not every teacher will do what I do.”
The Asthma Foundation provides a free professional development course for anyone who wants to do it.
“You never know when and where an asthma attack may happen so it’s essential that as many school staff as possible are trained to act in an asthma emergency and have an understanding of asthma and its symptoms,” said Dr Peter Anderson, CEO of Asthma Foundation Queensland.