The Gift-Giving Season is Year-Round – An Asthma Book is a “Must-Buy”

There are many books available, but two of my favoritesinclude one for adults and one for children.  FreeYour Child from Asthma by Gary Rachelefsky, M.D. with Patricia Garrison waspublished in December of 2005 so it includes current information in areader-friendly format. Dr. Rachelefsky has over 30 years experience in theworld of pediatric asthma and knows only too well the frequent concerns andchallenges of parenting a child with asthma.

He presents a plan to help minimize asthma symptoms, avoidattacks and prevent emergency room visits. After digesting the book, the readerwill have the knowledge and skills needed to:

• Recognize the early warning signs of an asthma episode
• Identify triggers and understand what to do about them
• Make sense of medications and their side effects
• Work with your child’s doctor to receive the right care and treatment
• Steadily reduce the amount of medication needed.

This book is the perfect gift for teachers who are trying tograsp the challenges of parenting with asthma and for parents who feeloverwhelmed and under-equipped to cope.

Perhaps you would rather purchase a child’s book to honor ateacher or staff member. One of my all time favorites is The Lion who Had Asthma by Jonathan London with pictures by NadineBernard Westcott. It was published in 1992, but the text about Sean harnessinghis imagination to make breathing treatments more tolerable is timeless. Vividillustrations and imaginative words follow Sean as he becomes a jet pilot whiletaking his treatment and soon he returns with a mighty roar, the king of thejungle once again.

Both books are readily available online, making thoughtfulgift-giving easy too! Remember to note the name and date of the honoree insidethe book and perhaps you could give him/her a child-created bookmark as akeepsake. Have fun saying thank youto a special person while creating a legacy for your community.