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 fight for clean air, because I watched my mom struggle to breathe for too long. Read more at FightingForAir.org
— Mary Beth, KY
I grew up in eastern Kentucky and was often ill from allergies and breathing problems growing up. We lived a few 100 feet from a coal tipple, and the coal trains ran day and night behind our house. Every time it rained, the runoff from the silt ponds would flood our yard eventually making it impossible to grow a garden. We hardly ever got to enjoy sitting on the front porch, because of the large volume of coal dust in the air, which inevitably made its way inside our house and covered almost everything we owned. Read more at FightingForAir.org
— Rita, KY
The article below is from "Independent Reporter" News of Lafayette, and I am absolutely livid about it!! Lafayette is only concerned with the almighty dollar and not people’s health! I am suffering with asthma and COPD, and the air quality here has me incapacitated the majority of the time. I need someone to make sure EPA standards are enforced here in Louisiana and especially in Lafayette... Read more at FightingForAir.org
— Dale, LA
I’ve been reading the stories posted by other parents who, like I am, are raising children with asthma. Many of us have experiences that are too often left out of the discussion of the impact of asthma. Recently, my five-year-old daughter’s asthma was so severe that her violent coughing caused her to vomit. While such a reaction is not commonly thought of as an effect of asthma, those of us with asthmatic children know that at times vomiting can come with the territory. Read more at FightingForAir.org
— Sylvia, MA
I was a smoker for 28 years. I quit on April 23, 2007. It was the best day of my life! (I was an avid member of the American Lung Association message boards—they really helped me through it). I just hope it was soon enough. Read more at FightingForAir.org
— S., MA
Our asthma journey has been hard – mostly on my son Jake but on the rest of our family as well. We have missed a lot of work; Jake has missed a lot of school; and his older brother has missed a lot of holidays and vacations, because his brother was too sick to leave home. It’s bad enough that Jake has a life-threatening congenital heart defect that has required three open heart surgeries. And believe me, it’s been a scary struggle. Read more at FightingForAir.org
— Diane , MA
As a nurse, I have seen first-hand the damage air pollution inflicts on my patients. Most children enjoy the arrival of spring because it means more time to play outdoors. For my asthmatic patients, however, the arrival of spring means more time spent coping with their symptoms. Instead of laughing, they cough; instead of playing, they wheeze; instead of getting excited, they become afraid. It is for these youngest and most vulnerable patients among us that I fight for clean air. Read more at FightingForAir.org
— Lorraine , MA
As everyone is opening their windows and venturing outside in their shorts and t-shirts, we close up shop here on the home front. By that I mean, we have to keep the windows and screen doors to our home shut. As an added precaution, we also need to keep the door to my son’s room closed to deter dust from other parts of the home from entering his sleeping space. Read more at FightingForAir.org
— Lori , MA
I live along the MBTA commuter rail corridor. When I take the Orange Line subway to work at either Stony Brook or Jackson Station, there is a significant toxic smell and taste of lead in the air. I feel slightly ill when I come into contact with this smell. Out of all the stations, Jackson and Ruggles are the worst for me. When waiting on the platform for the subway to arrive, the fumes wait with you. My head often throbs. Read more at FightingForAir.org
— Tony, MA
When my son was just two years old, our pediatrician began to suspect that he might have asthma. Confirmation came when ordinary colds manifested into acute respiratory infections requiring nebulizer treatments and countless doctor visits. The simple act of breathing has never been something my son can take for granted. Read more at FightingForAir.org
— Antonia, MA
FACT: Nearly six million people in the United States live in an area with unhealthy year-round levels of particle pollution.
