Before Josée Michaud became a nurse, before she ever imagined sharing her story publicly, she was simply a younger sister who adored her two older brothers, Luc and Eric.
Music filled their family home. The three of them spent hours listening to cassette tapes, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, The Doors. They went to concerts together. Music was their bond, their joy, and a symbol of a complete family. Today, those moments are some of the memories Josée holds closest.
Luc was just 14 years old when he died from an asthma attack. The family was celebrating a birthday at a cottage when he quietly said, “I don’t feel good.” Moments later, his lips turned blue. The ambulance took too long. The nebulizer was not enough.
Nine years later, Josée lost her oldest brother, Eric. He was only 26. A severe asthma attack deprived him of oxygen for too long. Two brothers. One disease.
Asthma should never take a child’s life, or anyone’s life. Not then. Not today. Not in 2026.
More than 4.8 million people in Canada live with asthma, and research shows that number is expected to grow over the next decade. With the right care, education, and access to treatment, people with asthma can live long, full lives. But too many still do not get what they need until it is too late.
That is why Asthma Canada exists.
Today, Josée manages her asthma with the help of a biologic medication that did not exist when her brothers were alive. It keeps her well and out of hospital.
“If this medication had been available 30 years ago,” she says, “maybe my brothers would still be here.”
Josée went on to become an intensive care nurse. After losing Luc, she promised herself she would never feel helpless again. That promise guides her work every day. It is the same promise Asthma Canada makes to families across the country.
How Your Support Makes a Difference
Support for Asthma Canada helps drive real change by:
Advancing research into better treatments and earlier detection
Advocating for equitable access to life-saving asthma medications
Educating families and individuals so they know how to act in a crisis and how to manage asthma every day
Strengthening national advocacy to improve asthma care standards across Canada
Because of this support, Asthma Canada reached more people than ever before last year.
Our Impact in 2025
In one year, Asthma Canada delivered:
450+ one-to-one HelpLine consultations
20,000+ Asthma Support Packs downloaded
13,000+ Asthma SelfChecks completed
2,500+ webinar registrations
400,000+ visits to asthma.ca
50+ asthma-focused meetings with government officials
$225,000 awarded to asthma researchers across Canada
Help Prevent the Next Tragedy
Josée reached out to Asthma Canada after reading about Amber McCollum, a 14-year-old who tragically lost her life to an asthma attack.
“I could not believe it. Another one lost too soon. This has to stop!”
Asthma can take lives, but it does not have to. By supporting Asthma Canada, you help ensure stories like Josée’s and Amber’s become turning points, not patterns.
Together, we can create a future where fewer families experience this kind of loss and where everyone with asthma can breathe easier.
