Our Story - Asthma Foundation of Western Australia

Asthma. It’s about time...i

Our brandOur brand proudly represents who we are and what westand for.It provides visual reassurance of our commitmentto helping people with asthma to breathebetter through continuous improvement ininformation, education, training, advocacyand the promotion of research.Creativity –Using innovationand efficiency tosolve problemsand anticipateand respond tothe varyingneeds of thecommunityThe blue balloon reminds people aboutbreathing and the importance of healthylungs.A balloon needs air to function as designed,and when filled correctly, it performs asexpected. This links in people’s minds as fun,celebration, freedom and living well.We are proud members of Asthma Australiaand our suite of logos demonstrates ourNational commitment to work togetherfor all Australians living with the disease.Our Asthma Friendly logo is used on allNational programs as we aim to createsafer working environments for peoplewith asthma.2

A personal storyIn April 2011, Nicholas, who was only six years old, suffered a life threatening asthma attack whichleft him clinging for life in a regional West Australian hospital for three long days.Nicholas’ mother Rachael is no stranger to asthma; her husband Troy, oldest son Devin (12)and daughter Brittany (10) all suffer from severe asthma.It was a Wednesday afternoon when Nicholas came down with a head cold whilst at school.That night, Nicholas’ condition deteriorated and what started as a normal head cold had nowbecome pneumonia.Nicholas was unable to attend school on Thursday due to his condition and by Thursdaynight, his asthma had flared up dramatically – what then occurred, Rachael described asthe worst asthma attack she has ever seen.“Nicholas had suffered asthma attacks before but this time I knew it wasserious, as I watched his face discolour and saw him gasping for air”, saidRachael.He was rushed into the emergency ward, where doctors administered astaggering 12 puffs of Nicholas’ reliever medication every 10 minutes.Despite trying his hardest to put on a brave face, Nicholas was clearlyhorrified by what was going on. He had an oxygen mask over his face,numerous cables and monitors. A terrifying experience for anyone,let alone a six year old boy.Rachael never left his side throughout the whole three days,citing that she just couldn’t leave her six year old son alone in sucha state.“Nicholas was very scared because he could see how worried Iwas”, Rachael said.Three days after being admitted to hospital, much to Nicholas’excitement and Rachael’s relief he was allowed to go home andreunite with his dad, brother and sister.3

Our servicesAsthma Child & Adolescent ProgramThe Asthma Foundation WA has trained 5,821teachers and support staff from 198 schools and131 preschools to manage an asthma emergencyin a school setting. Over 17,300 staff in WA aretrained under the Asthma Child and AdolescentProgram.All sessions are delivered face-to-face by an AsthmaFoundation staff member or by 90 AuthorisedRepresentatives across the state. 65% of schoolstrained were in the metropolitan area and 35%in country WA. 65% - 75% of staff reported anincrease in their ability to recognise asthma, knowasthma first aid, and their confidence to managean asthma attack. 57% of schools in WA are nowrecognised as trained under the ACAP program and56% of preschools.The Asthma Friendly School program is deliveredalongside the ACAP program although training staffto recognise and manage an asthma attack is ourtop priority. 43.5% of WA schools are presentlyrecognised as “Asthma Friendly”.Community Support ProgramThe Community Support Program is a nationallyfunded program delivered in Western Australiaby AFWA. The aim of the program is to; increaseaccess to asthma information and education;increase people’s ability to effectively manage theirasthma; and provide referral pathways and access torelevant support services.The program targets people with asthma and theirfamily and carers in at-risk populations includingseniors (65+ non-Aboriginal, 55+ Aboriginal),Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, Culturally andLinguistically Diverse, low Socio-Economic Indexesfor Areas, and regional and rural West Australians.Each year we aim to:— Conduct 45 group education sessions to thegeneral community, health professionals, agedcare facilities and seniors— Deliver education sessions in regional centres— Ensure over 500 individuals receive asthmaeducation and information— Attend at least 7 community settings (expos,events)Passion – Working hard to make a positive difference forpeople living with asthma and linked conditions4

ResearchSince inception, the Asthma Foundation WA has a proud history of funding novel, “cutting-edge”and unique research into respiratory conditions in Western Australia. The Foundation viewsresearch as essential to its goal of freeing West Australians from the burden of asthma.Building on our 47 year commitment to asthma research, the Foundation’s competitive GrantsResearch Program include the following categories that play critical roles in ensuring a strongfoothold in the world of scientific respiratory research:— New Investigator Grants – aims to assist asthma researchers at the start of their career tosecure their first major element of research funding.— Project Research Grants – are traditional project grants aimed primarily at proven researchersin establishing new asthma projects.— PhD Scholarship Supplements – are for researchers who currently hold or have been approvedfor a full PhD Scholarship from another institution.— The Vi Watson Vacation Scholarship* – are for graduate and under-graduate students wishingto further their studies into asthma during university vacations.(*The Vi Watson Scholarship is named in memory of lifetime supporter Ms Vi Watson (dec), who established theKojonup Opportunity Shop. With the help of her daughter, Mrs Cheryl Walker, Vi raised funds over many years forvital asthma research in Western Australia).The grants for projects and new investigators have supported novel but risky ideas, theestablishment of pilot data for substantial projects and the development of methods for morefruitful investigation of asthma. Partly as a result of this support, asthma researchers from WAare prolific collaborators with other researchers around Australia and the world (because ofthe unique approaches and databases they have established in WA) and feature prominently ininternational scientific programs.The role of the Medical and Scientific Advisory Committee (MASAC), chaired by Associate ProfessorAlan James, is to advise, make recommendations and provide information to the Board of theAsthma Foundation WA on research matters. The Committee members are Professor Peter Henry,Dr Neil Misso, Professor Geoffrey Stewart and Dr Phil Stumbles. Dr Andrew Wilson is WesternAustralia’s representative on the National MASAC.7

36 Ord Street, West Perth WA 6005PO Box 864, West Perth, WA 6872Phone: (08) 9289 3600 I Freecall: 1800 645 130Email: ask@asthmawa.org.auasthmawa.org.au