Boywho livesnear busyroad nowhas asthma causedby pollution

WHEN Maksim Kovaliova was six, he suffered his first asthma attack.

It seemed to ‘come out of nowhere’ and left him ‘scared and weak’, recalls his mum Julia, who is raising all three of her children in Manchester city centre.

Following repeated episodes and a trip to hospital, it’s suspected Maksim, now, 11, likely has pollutioninduced asthma - thought in part to be a result of living near to the junction of Portland Street and Great Ancoats, where traffic is near-constant.

Manchester city centre has been Maksim’s home since birth and he is among a quarter of a million babies in the UK born breathing toxic air every year.

Air pollution can damage the lungs and brains of babies while they are still in the womb and emerging evidence shows pregnant women who breathe toxic air are more likely to give birth to premature babies and those with a low birth weight.

Maksim’s mum Julia, 37, a finance manager, says: “We live in an area which was supposed to be family-friendly, yet it is a near a busy main road where traffic is constantly whizzing by and there is not much green space. We live here because we work here, moving is not realistic for us.

“I think people move here thinking there will be more green spaces for children. Maksim’s asthma is always worse when the roads are busy.”

Maksim and his family are managing the condition well and he has an inhaler on hand when needed.

But Julia, also mum to Mark, five, and one-year-old Maya, worries about how the condition will affect him long-term, and whether her other children are at risk.

She added: “It is terrifying that air pollution can make children so ill and I worry that Maksim’s asthma will get steadily worse. I am really concerned that Maya will develop asthma like her brother - she was breathing in dirty air while she was