麻豆精品

Fall 2014

Jaksael Moreno leaped to swat at a red balloon as it sank slowly in the air. He missed and lunged for another before it hit the floor. Like a pack of rowdy puppies, the 7- and 8-year-olds around him in the classroom dashed and tumbled to keep the floating targets aloft. The camp counselors supervising the frolic were alert; any sort of physical activity is a scary situation for a group of children with asthma who might not recognize when too much fun quickly becomes an emergency. But kids 麻豆精品 S� even ones with asthma 麻豆精品 S� will be kids.

Finding her happy son after playtime, Moreno 麻豆精品 S檚 mother, Jessica, smiled. 麻豆精品 S淭his is the first time he 麻豆精品 S檚 been with so many kids with asthma. 麻豆精品 S�

Like her son, the other boys and girls at Camp Easy 2 Breathe wore belt packs carrying inhalers and peak flow meters to test their lung capacity. Two nurses with an oxygen tank stood at the ready. Youthful exuberance wasn 麻豆精品 S檛 something to tolerate 麻豆精品 S� it was a reason to celebrate. And for camp founder Linda Gibson-Young, an assistant professor at the College of Nursing, watching children with asthma chase balloons was a small victory in a long battle. Keeping children with asthma out of the emergency room is Linda Gibson-Young 麻豆精品 S檚 goal.

Preventing Emergencies

Before joining the UCF faculty in 2011, Gibson-Young was a pulmonary nurse who worked with what seemed like an endless line of children who came into the emergency room suffering from painful and sometimes-fatal asthma attacks 麻豆精品 S� many of which were preventable.

麻豆精品 S淚t was heartbreaking to see those children suffer needlessly, 麻豆精品 S� she says.

Most of the children Gibson-Young treated in that Birmingham, Alabama, ER came from low-income homes. She knew firsthand the challenges all families face when they have a child with a chronic illness. Her own son, Greyson, was diagnosed with asthma in 2010. That experience helped clarify her mission: 麻豆精品 S淢y goal in life is to make a difference in the lives of kids with asthma. 麻豆精品 S�

Asthma is the third-leading cause of preventable hospitalization in Florida. As defined by the Florida Department of Health, it is a chronic lung disease characterized by inflammation of the airways and recurring attacks of symptoms such as wheezing, coughing and chest tightness. Inflammation makes the airways sensitive to common irritants such as smoke, pet dander, pollen, mold, chemicals and other airborne triggers. Currently, there is no cure for asthma, but it can be controlled through medical treatment and environmental management. That control starts with education.

In Osceola County, the number of children visiting emergency rooms because of pediatric asthma is one of the highest in the state. More than 22 percent of the county 麻豆精品 S檚 children under the age of 18 have had at least one asthma attack. So Gibson-Young approached Barbara Meeks, chief nurse executive at Nemours Children 麻豆精品 S檚 Hospital in Orlando, about partnering to create an asthma camp. Meeks was on board immediately. She had run medical camps in other states and knew they made a positive impact not only on the children attending them, but also on ER staff swamped with asthma cases.

With support from Nemours and a staff of UCF nursing students, Gibson-Young launched Camp Easy 2 Breathe based on the American Lung Association 麻豆精品 S檚 curriculum for children ages 6 to 12. The four-day camp offers activities designed to get kids thinking about how their illness works, such as scavenger hunts highlighting attack triggers and making lung puppets out of paper sacks and construction paper. Children also learn lung-strengthening exercises and participate in physical activities that teach them how to recognize their limits and avoid an attack that may lead them to an emergency room.

麻豆精品 S淭his is the time when children are beginning to take responsibility for their asthma but may not know yet how to look for symptoms, 麻豆精品 S� Gibson-Young says. 麻豆精品 S淭hat 麻豆精品 S檚 where we help. 麻豆精品 S�

This is the time when children are beginning to take responsibility for their asthma but may not know yet how to look for symptoms.

Linda Gibson-Young

Managing Asthma

Children squeezed slimy, green 麻豆精品 S渕ucus 麻豆精品 S� between their fingers. They were mixing a sticky concoction of cornstarch, water and green food coloring to help them better understand their asthma.

麻豆精品 S淲hat happens when you squeeze the mucus? 麻豆精品 S� a counselor asked. 麻豆精品 S淚magine mucus in your body 麻豆精品 S� why is it difficult to breathe? 麻豆精品 S�

麻豆精品 S淚t plugs up your lungs, 麻豆精品 S� a child responded.

麻豆精品 S淣ormalization is a big part of what we do here, 麻豆精品 S� said Melody Wallace, a child life specialist at Nemours. The arts and crafts projects are a way to introduce topics to campers that they may not feel comfortable talking about with non-asthma sufferers. And normalization is the key to getting the children to discuss their challenges.

麻豆精品 S淪o, 麻豆精品 S� asked student nurse Tamesha Rolle, 麻豆精品 S�14, 麻豆精品 S渨hat are some of your triggers? 麻豆精品 S�

麻豆精品 S淪moke! 麻豆精品 S� yelled one of the boys. 麻豆精品 S淧ollen! 麻豆精品 S� said another. 麻豆精品 S淐leaning products! 麻豆精品 S�

麻豆精品 S淕ood. Any more? 麻豆精品 S� asked Rolle.

麻豆精品 S淏arbie stickers! 麻豆精品 S� a boy shouted out, getting a laugh from the campers and counselors.

The trigger activity set the stage for a special visitor to the camp. Rebecca Campbell, an asthma sufferer on the UCF women 麻豆精品 S檚 rowing team, told the children about her first attack.

麻豆精品 S淚 noticed my chest felt a little heavy, and I couldn 麻豆精品 S檛 get in a full breath of air, 麻豆精品 S� she recalled. 麻豆精品 S淚 started to panic and cry, which only made things worse. I had heard of asthma before from classmates in elementary school, but I didn 麻豆精品 S檛 recognize what was happening to me. 麻豆精品 S� Fortunately, her coach recognized that it was an asthma attack and encouraged Campbell to see a doctor after calming her down.

Asthma Attack Triggers

Tobacco smoke 麻豆精品 S� Dust mites 麻豆精品 S� Fragrances 麻豆精品 S� Animal dander 麻豆精品 S� Pollen 麻豆精品 S� Mold 麻豆精品 S� Air pollution 麻豆精品 S� Respiratory infections 麻豆精品 S� Allergies 麻豆精品 S� Extreme weather (humidity or cold) 麻豆精品 S� Exercise 麻豆精品 S� Strong emotional reactions

I noticed my chest felt a little heavy, and I couldn 麻豆精品 S檛 get in a full breath of air. I started to panic and cry, which only made things worse. I had heard of asthma before from classmates in elementary school, but I didn 麻豆精品 S檛 recognize what was happening to me.

Rebecca Campbell

Rather than backing away from sports, Campbell learned to use an inhaler, cool down with a wet towel over her forehead and take belly breaths when she found it hard to breathe.

麻豆精品 S淚 lived through it, altered my workouts and was forced to find ways to manage on my own, 麻豆精品 S� she said. 麻豆精品 S淵ou can find middle ground of being athletic and living with asthma 麻豆精品 S� I 麻豆精品 S檓 proof of that. 麻豆精品 S�

Gaining Perspective

Standing on one foot and pulling on his ears, Freddy Roman, 麻豆精品 S�14, had every camper 麻豆精品 S檚 attention.

麻豆精品 S淔reddy says, hop up and down. 麻豆精品 S� The giddy campers hopped.

麻豆精品 S淪top! 麻豆精品 S� Roman cried. A few did. 麻豆精品 S淎w! Freddy didn 麻豆精品 S檛 say! 麻豆精品 S�

The remaining campers continued to jump in earnest as Roman watched, monitoring their stamina until he finally gave the order. 麻豆精品 S淔reddy says, stop! 麻豆精品 S�

The kids collapsed into a pile of giggles 麻豆精品 S� still holding their ears.

Roman, along with 36 other nursing students from UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 Daytona Beach campus, probably never thought a game of Simon Says would be part of his education. But practical experience garnered from volunteering is an important step for the students, and Camp Easy 2 Breathe provided an integral lesson in working with children. As they educated the campers about their disease, students witnessed the complications and psychological toll that asthma can take on a young patient.

麻豆精品 S淪ome [students] are learning they have a knack for working with kids, while others see the challenges young patients present, 麻豆精品 S� says nursing professor Angeline Bushy, who observed her students in action. 麻豆精品 S淭his has been great for them. 麻豆精品 S�

Nursing student Crystal Blankenship, 麻豆精品 S�14, agrees. 麻豆精品 S淵ou can only read so much about asthma or any medical condition, but when you actually see it and experience it, the knowledge solidifies much quicker. 麻豆精品 S�

Moving Forward

Stomp, stomp, clap. Stomp, stomp, clap.

Entering the classroom filled with their parents and caregivers, the campers wiggled with excitement as they took their places, ready to perform their final skit. Gibson- Young, who spent most of her previous few days flitting around each activity, finally stood still 麻豆精品 S� soaking in the last minutes of camp.

Stomp, stomp, clap. Stomp, stomp, clap.

麻豆精品 S淲e will, we will, BREATHE WELL! 麻豆精品 S� the children chanted.

From the back of the room, counselor Blankenship cheered.

麻豆精品 S淭hey are fully capable of doing more than most people give them credit for, 麻豆精品 S� she says. 麻豆精品 S淚 saw children looking out for each other, knowing when to tell an adult that their campmate was having trouble breathing. [They] were taking responsibility for their own asthma as well as for others. It was amazing. 麻豆精品 S�

For parent Cherie Dwyer, who collected her 9-year-old son Sean after the skit, there were many good lessons to take home from the camp. 麻豆精品 S淗e learned a lot and enjoyed making friends, 麻豆精品 S� she says. 麻豆精品 S淗e 麻豆精品 S檚 better at taking his medicine 麻豆精品 S� he now knows that it helps him, and he wants to stay healthy. 麻豆精品 S�

麻豆精品 S淭his is the beginning of a strong community partnership, 麻豆精品 S� says Gibson-Young. 麻豆精品 S淭he community of Kissimmee wrapped their arms around us with food donations for our asthma campers and families. We expect to continue this camp in the future and add more in Central Florida communities. 麻豆精品 S�