Help Families Living With Asthma This Holiday Season
Imagine holding your child in your arms as she fights for every breath.
Her chest rises and falls rapidly, the wheezing loud and frightening. You reach for her inhaler with one hand and the phone with the other—trying to stay calm while deciding whether it’s time to go to the ER again.
This is life for parents Kaitlin and Peter Shaw of New Brunswick.
Both of their children live with asthma. Their daughter Jordan was diagnosed with severe asthma as a baby. Managing her condition quickly became a full-time job. Every day, three times a day, she sat through 15-minute nebulizer treatments—adding up to about 270 hours each year.
While other children were outside playing or heading to dance class, Jordan was fighting to breathe.
Every decision in the Shaw household revolves around keeping Jordan and her older brother Henry—who also has asthma and allergies—safe. Their bags are always packed with medications: five inhalers between two kids, nasal sprays, allergy pills, and steroid creams.
The family has driven more than eight hours to reach a children’s hospital in Nova Scotia for specialized care. They’ve slept in hotels, missed work, and juggled childcare—all while paying out of pocket for travel, treatments, and medications not covered by insurance or provincial health plans.
Sadly, this experience isn’t unique. Families across Canada face these same challenges every day.
All gifts received by December 15, 2025 will be matched dollar for dollar, doubling your impact!
When the Holidays Bring Fear Instead of Joy
One December, as the holidays approached, Jordan and her mom, Kaitlin, visited Rhoda’s Christmas Market, a cherished local tradition. They spent the day surrounded by the smell of sweets, the glow of lights, and the magic of the season.
Just days later, Jordan was admitted to hospital and put on oxygen to keep her breathing stable. The festive lights were replaced with beeping monitors. Only after several days and a visit to the Asthma Clinic—where nurses gifted Jordan a small purple fish—could the family finally breathe a sigh of relief, knowing she would be home for Christmas.
Jordan has even spent Christmas Day recovering from an asthma attack, as her parents adjusted medications and watched her carefully, hoping to avoid another emergency room visit.
“The holidays bring a little extra to every household,” Peter says. “Parents want their children to have the most magical experience possible. But events like this can drain you and disrupt the traditions that make the season so wonderful.”
Despite it all, the Shaws consider themselves lucky. They can afford the gas to travel out of province, they have flexible work schedules, and they can pay $50 a month for the saline nebules that keep Jordan’s nebulizer running.
But as Kaitlin asks: “What about families who can’t?”
They often wonder about parents who don’t have supportive employers, nearby family, or access to specialized care. It’s one reason they share their story—to help others understand how dangerous and unpredictable asthma can be, and how urgently change is needed.
You Can Help Families Breathe Easier
This festive season, as families gather to celebrate, many parents will be holding their breath—listening for the sound of a cough that might mean another attack, another hospital trip, another sleepless night.
When you support Asthma Canada, you make a real difference. Your donation:
- Helps parents like Kaitlin and Peter access trusted information and guidance.
- Supports our advocacy for better access and coverage for life-saving asthma medications.
- Funds tools and resources that empower families facing their worst fears.
But your impact doesn’t stop there.
Thanks to generous donors like you, Asthma Canada is also investing in groundbreaking research—funding scientific studies and supporting brilliant young researchers who are working to improve treatments and find a cure.
With your help, we can build a future where children like Jordan and Henry don’t have to structure their lives around a chronic disease.
All gifts received by December 15, 2025 will be matched dollar for dollar, doubling your impact!
A Story of Strength and Hope
Despite everything she’s been through, Jordan has accomplished something incredible: she’s run two 5K races—and even finished first in her age group at her most recent event.
Her parents call those days two of the proudest of their lives—not because of the medal, but because of the journey it took to get there, and the joy of seeing Henry cheering her on at the finish line.
Jordan and Henry’s story is one of strength, courage, and hope. And it’s a story made possible by donors like you.
Give the Gift of Breath Today
Your gift today helps children and families across Canada breathe easier this holiday season. It fuels research, advocacy, and education that save lives and bring us closer to a future free from asthma.
💙 Please make your most generous gift today.
Your donation is more than dollars—it’s safety for every child struggling to catch their next breath. It’s hope for families praying for tomorrow. And it’s the chance to create a future where no one fears the simple act of breathing.