Stories
We all have a reason to fight for clean air. Check out some personal stories below that highlight the need for healthy, safe air, and click here to share your own.
I have a 10-year-old son named Chandler who is being home schooled because of his poor health. His asthma controls his life, and he misses out on a lot of things other children his age are able to do. Read more at FightingForAir.org
— Monica, AZ
I have never smoked and have been living with a rare genetic form of asthma for the past 67 years. I take a very expensive biological drug called Xolair every other week at an outpatient procedure clinic here in Tucson, AZ. Even with this treatment, soot in the air can cause me to have a severe allergic reaction that can be fatal. Since my condition is genetic, it also affects many of my family members including my maternal grandfather who died because of her disease at just 34-years-old. Read more at FightingForAir.org
— Ruth, AZ
I have reactive airway asthma and the air quality, or lack of it, in Mesa, AZ has me on steroids many weeks of the year. The result of taking so much prednisone is weak bones and weight gain that is causing all kinds of other health problems, including type 11 diabetes. Read more at FightingForAir.org
— Claudia, AZ
I developed interstitial lung disease four years ago. It is important to me not to lose any more lung function than I have now. My mobility has been reduced by about 30 to 40 percent, but I'm still getting around pretty well with a small amount of oxygen therapy at night. Clean air is critical for me. Read more at FightingForAir.org
— Louise, AZ
Breathing is one of those things we all take for granted until one day we find it's not so easy to breathe anymore. Coughing, wheezing, pain in the lungs and throat due to asthma, bronchitis, allergies and frequent bouts of pneumonia have all been happening to me. I am NOT a smoker! I do happen to reside (for the past two decades) in one of the WORST ranking areas for air quality in the USA—Bakersfield, CA! Read more at FightingForAir.org
— Lisa, CA
I suffer from unstable angina and asthma. Just walking to get my mail is a struggle. I fight for clean air, because my life depends on it. I have no family that cares the slightest bit about me. I live alone and have to care for myself. Read more at FightingForAir.org
— Jareen, CA
I want my old lungs back. I became an asthmatic as an adult. There was a time before that when I could go to the gym and not have to worry about getting bronchitis. Read more at FightingForAir.org
— Daphne, CA
I suffer fromasthma. Over the 15 years that I have lived within a mile from the Santa MonicaAirport it has become much worse. What used to be seasonal asthma and allergiesis now practically a constant, and I am seriously considering leaving LosAngeles. Read more at FightingForAir.org
— Lucas, CA
I just moved to downtown Ventura County. Everyone says it’s the best location, as I am a couple blocks from the beach, Surfer’s Point, the pier, fair grounds and Main Street, which is where all the clubs and restaurants are located, as well as the coffee shops, movie theatre, ice cream shops, etc. The problem is that there are only three streets that allow a person to go from one end of the valley to the other, and it’s a bottleneck. The heart of the problem is on Main Street and the streets that lead to the beach. Read more at FightingForAir.org
— shawn, CA
I want clean air, because every day of my life I will be inhaling it. I'd like the healthiest air possible. Read more at FightingForAir.org
— Windy, CA
FACT: Minorities and lower income groups are often disproportionately affected by air pollution which put them at higher risk for illnesses.
