Community News

The Canterbury respiratory community gathered in November to mark the 50th anniversary of CanBreathe, which started life as the Canterbury Asthma Society in 1972.

CanBreathe Acting Nurse Manager Teresa Chalecki says the event was a chance to celebrate the past, present and future of the organisation and its survival over 50 years. “The fact that we are still operating, stronger than ever, and just as relevant, is a real testament to the commitment of people who have been involved over the years. From board members, to our volunteers and dedicated staff, it’s all those people who had that extra drive to improve respiratory health in our community.”

She says innovation has also been key to the Society’s survival. “The health system has changed dramatically over 50 years, but the need for support for those with respiratory conditions in our community has not,” she says. “We’ve had to be flexible and creative to find new ways to deliver services.”

Teresa says this innovation was visible early in CanBreathe’s history with establishment of an asthma helpline, before that was common practice, and regularly held summer camps and swimming lessons at a time when children with asthma were discouraged from exercising. It has continued today with resources like the ‘Baxter Bear kit’ which was developed as a play therapy to help young children and their parents use inhalers and spacers, and regular asthma clinics held at local high schools.

The greatest challenge of the past 50 years has been securing funding. “While some of our services are funded, we still need to fundraise to meet our needs. It’s been an uphill battle, as, unfortunately, respiratory health is not seen as a priority by some. However, if you can’t breathe, then not much else matters,” Teresa says.

CanBreathe provides free support to everyone in their community who needs it. “We have removed all barriers to access. There’s no cost, no referral needed, and we will travel to people who need it.”

The Society supports over 1000 Cantabrians every year and offers one on one consultations, educational sessions to schools and community groups, training masterclasses for health professionals and spirometry services.

Taumata (second from right) with supporters.

FUNDRAISING RUN CELEBRATES LIFE

After a near-fatal asthma attack as a child, Aucklander Taumata O Te Ra Nga Hau E Wha o Te Motu Lowe knew he wanted to do something special to celebrate reaching his 21st birthday.

He was inspired to both challenge himself and give back to others living with asthma by organising a 21km fundraising run for the Foundation.

“I’ve had asthma my whole life and had some bad experiences. I was fortunate not to die, and so I felt like running 21kms for 21 years was a fitting way to give back and help others,” he explains.

Taumata rallied family and friends for the run, which started off at Red Hill in Papakura. They raised more than $600, with Taumata and two others running the full distance and other supporters joining for parts of the course.

For a confessed ‘non-runner’, Taumata knew the event would be a bit of a slog. “I do cross-fit and weights, but I knew this was going to be a challenge and it went as well as I expected! But I felt really grateful to be able to do it.”

Taumata experienced a severe asthma attack when he was seven years old. “I remember coming home from school and not feeling that good and the next minute I was waking up later in hospital. They told me I’d been resuscitated in the ambulance.”

While that experience was terrifying for Taumata and his family, he found that learning more about his condition, understanding the symptoms and getting a good grasp of how to manage his asthma, allowed him to get on with an active life.

“I found my asthma got better as I got fitter. But even now, it can flare up. The start of spring can be a difficult time,” he says.

After the success of the run, Taumata is planning on organising a bigger fundraising event in the future. “It’s such a good thing to be able to do and it would be awesome to do it again.”