Meet River and his twin sister, Rose. They share the same smile, blue eyes and cheeky personality but, whilst she’s been sprinting through life, River didn’t have it so easy.
River faced regular hospitalisations and was always on the sidelines trying to catch his breath, whilst Rose ruled the playground and soccer pitch.
River’s asthma impacted his whole life, meaning he missed out on the simple things his sister took for granted. His mum, Tiffany will never forget how much River struggled during this time:
“River struggled to breathe if he ran or did any physical activity. His breathing was so bad; every time he had a cold, he’d end up in hospital needing oxygen all the time.”
Until River came to Respiratory Care WA, formerly Asthma WA, in 2022, he was one of 360,000 West Australian kids who unknowingly have misdiagnosed or mismanaged asthma.
For River and his family, it was six years of struggles before Respiratory Care WA gave him a life-changing diagnosis with our Lung Function Testing. He now continues to see us for ongoing education and personalised support.
Did you know we’re the only not-for-profit delivering this life-changing service in WA?
This year, we’ve provided free Lung Function Testing to more than 400 children like River, helping them to breathe easy and giving their parents peace of mind. We’re the only not-for-profit delivering this life changing service in WA. But our Lung Function Testing program is only partly funded. We need your help to support 360,000 undiagnosed kids in WA.
River’s Mum, Tiffany: “Respiratory Care WA changed my son’s life.”
“The team at Respiratory Care WA are so wonderful. They provided Lung Function Testing, closely monitored him, called us regularly and supported us in every way. His preventer medication was changed, and he was taught how to use his inhaler properly.
River hasn’t been in hospital once since then and he can run and play like every other seven-year-old. He’s so excited he can now run fast towards the Christmas tree!”
River is so excited he can finally level up to his sister and beat her to the Christmas tree! With your support, we can bring joy to thousands of kids just like him.
