Ryan Gibbons
Asthma and every attack have the potential to be life-threatening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The sudden and tragic death of 12-year-old Ryan Gibbons is a stark reminder of that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ryan was an energetic boy who loved motorbikes and hiking in the woods \u2013 but a fatal mistake would soon take his life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Back in 2012, he suffered an asthma attack at school.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He could have simply used his inhaler at the beginning of the episode, but the life-saving device had been taken from him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On October 9, 12-year-old grade 7 student Ryan Gibbons went to school \u2013 just like any other day<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, that day he wouldn\u2019t return home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sandra Gibbons
Sandra Gibbons
Ryan suffered an asthma attack while playing soccer in school and was unable to reach his rescue medication, which was locked in the school office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The suffering boy needed his inhaler to open his airways and allow him to breathe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But it was his school\u2019s policy to keep the inhalers locked in the principal\u2019s office and spare inhalers were repeatedly confiscated from Ryan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A group of Ryan\u2019s friends tried to carry him to the office during the attack, but the boys couldn\u2019t get to the inhaler in time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ryan passed out and never was revived.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sandra Gibbons
The tragedy occurred at the Elgin Country School in Ontario, Canada, and shook a whole nation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After an investigation, it became clear that Ryan\u2019s school didn\u2019t allow him to keep his puffer with him, despite repeated efforts by his mother and a doctor\u2019s note.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to his mother, Sandra Gibbons, Ryan would often bring an extra inhaler to school in order to bypass this rule.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sandra Gibbons
Asthma attacks aren\u2019t always predictable, and it is dangerous to keep the inhaler locked in a room.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But the school kept taking Ryan\u2019s extra inhaler away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ryan\u2019s mom said that the school called her on several occasions, asking her to pick up an inhaler that Ryan had brought to school.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He wasn\u2019t allowed to bring it home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201dYou would give him an inhaler but then he would get caught with the inhaler and then it would be taken away,\u201d Sandra Gibbons said, speaking to CBC.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sandra Gibbons
\u201dThen I\u2019d get a phone call. So it was actually very frustrating. I didn\u2019t understand why. I didn\u2019t realize that the policy actually stated that the prescribed medication needed to be in the office.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Fortunately, Ryan\u2019s tragic death was not in vain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Since Ryan\u2019s death, his mother has vowed to do whatever she could to prevent another family from going through what she went through.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After the funeral, Sandra Gibbons started a petition asking the Ontario government to force school boards to adopt standardized asthma management plans, and urged all three parties to pass a private member\u2019s bill from Progressive Conservative Jeff Yurek.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Lung Association \u2013 Ontario
\u201cWhen Ryan passed away, it was like losing everything that I lived for,\u201d Gibbons told Allergic Living. \u201cAfter burying my son, I knew that this was a preventable attack. To me, if people had appropriate training and knew what to look for when a child was in distress, he would be here today.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sandra\u2019s aimed to change the laws that keep asthmatic children from being able to carry their life-saving devices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And soon her conscious struggle would generate results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Known as Ryan\u2019s Law, Bill 135 has now passed with all-party support in the legislature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sandra Gibbons
The law forces schools to allow children to have their inhalers in their pocket or backpack with a doctor\u2019s note.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019m definitely overwhelmed, very emotional, very happy it\u2019s going to be implemented,\u201d said Sandra Gibbons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Asthma Society also applauded the bill\u2019s passage, with president Dr. Rob Oliphant saying \u201cit is essential that children with asthma have ready access to potentially life-saving asthma medications while at school.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Every state in the U.S. has laws on the books that allow students to carry their asthma inhalers with them \u2013 at all times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, some kids are still being denied access to these lifesaving medications during the school day. Many schools ban inhalers through their blanket anti-drug policies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Fatal asthma is a significant problem with more than 10 Americans dying each day from asthma.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Even though death rates have declined in the past decade, any asthma death is potentially preventable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ryan Gibbons<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I\u2019m so sorry to hear about Ryan\u2019s story. I just hate it when people don\u2019t think and it\u2019s heartbreaking!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But although Ryan\u2019s history is very tragic, his fate became the decisive factor in changing the lives of thousands of children with asthma.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Without his mother\u2019s struggle for justice, more tragic deaths would probably occur and I am happy that the politicians signed \u201dRyan\u2019s law\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Let\u2019s pass this article on to remember Ryan and to inform others about the risks of asthma patients not having close access to their inhaler.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Share away on Facebook, friends!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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