Jack is eight years old. He is from Dublin and is adamant that he is going to win an All‑Ireland Final medal playing with Dublin.
He is obsessed with GAA, swimming and he loves watching cartoons on Netflix. He coughs a lot at night, which can make him tired. When he gets sick, he gets really sick and he misses weeks of school and training at a time. He has to either stay at home with one of his parents, who take a day off work, or at his grandparents’ house. He’s afraid he won’t be able to make the team with his asthma. His coach tells him he doesn’t need his inhaler and that he shouldn’t be depending on it. Asthma is a bad word for Jack. He takes his medication at home but doesn’t in school. He never uses the spacer in school because he gets embarrassed about it. He doesn’t like being different or missing out.
WHAT DOES JACK NEED?
• To keep his place on the team
• For his coach to be ok with his asthma
• Not to have to be embarrassed about his asthma
• To stop coughing at night
• The ASI Schools Programme and an asthma buddy
• Age-appropriate videos and leaflet about asthma
• To meet a sporting hero with asthma
