Seven-year-old Kerry Cheng’s first asthma attack last winter was
more than frightening, it was nearly deadly. As the boy struggled
for air, his father Wen became worried.
”
We took him to the emergency room in the middle of the night,
but the nurse there couldn’t handle him,
”
said Wen, a Morgan Hill resident.
”
He went from Gilroy to San Jose by helicopter. I was
terrified.
”
Seven-year-old Kerry Cheng’s first asthma attack last winter was more than frightening, it was nearly deadly. As the boy struggled for air, his father Wen became worried.
“We took him to the emergency room in the middle of the night, but the nurse there couldn’t handle him,” said Wen, a Morgan Hill resident. “He went from Gilroy to San Jose by helicopter. I was terrified.”
Like nearly 6 million American children, Kerry suffers from asthma. Today, he’s on a host of medications – Advair, albuterol and Pulmicort – aimed at reducing dangerous attacks, but he’s also getting help in controlling his asthma from an unlikely source: summer camp.
During the first week of August, Kerry will attend Camp Superstuff, a week-long day camp aimed at kids ages 6 to 12 that combines asthma education with fun activities like arts and crafts, swimming, group games, songs and skits.
Taught by health professionals, the camp is put on, as it has been for the last 32 years, by the American Lung Association of Santa Clara-San Benito counties. It’s a vital link to normality, according to the association, because many children with asthma cannot go to summer camps due to the severity of their illness or their parents’ reluctance.
Camp Superstuff instructors show kids how to control their disease, challenging them to put these ideas into action during camp activities. Kerry, who’s had one other minor attack since his visit to Camp Superstuff, said he can’t remember most of the training, so he’s looking forward to learning about asthma again.
“My dad says I almost died, so sometimes I have to be careful when I’m playing, but they’ll tell us about things you can do in your life to make it better,” Kerry said.
Asthma is a respiratory disease that is often characterized by wheezing, breathlessness, tightness in the chest and nighttime or early morning boughts of coughing, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Allergies and other irritants can trigger asthma attacks in sufferers. During these attacks, irritation and inflammation cause swelling in the airway leading to the lungs. Muscles around the airway tighten and mucus that forms clogs the airway further, increasing wheezing, coughing and trouble breathing.
Camp Superstuff will be held Aug. 1 through 5, from 9am to 5pm at Hoover Junior High School, located at 1635 Park Avenue in San Jose. The registration fee is $50. To sign up or for more information, call (408) 998-5864 or e-mail Camp Director Joseph Francis at jo****@******us.org.
Melania Zaharopoulos covers lifestyle stories for South Valley Newspapers. She can be reached at me******@**********rs.com.
