Breathing a little easier

Marisa O’Neil

Like a breath of fresh air, the Breathmobile rolled into Rea

Elementary School’s parking lot Friday morning.

Children’s Hospital of Orange County runs the mobile clinic, which

helps diagnose and treat asthma for children at elementary and

preschools throughout the county. The converted recreational vehicle

visits Rea the last Friday of each month.

“This is great because you can talk with someone who knows what to

do [for asthma],” parent Mary Conley said after her 6-year-old

daughter Erin’s checkup.

Erin was diagnosed with asthma by a Breathmobile doctor after

going to the hospital three times during attacks and being diagnosed

with allergies, Conley said. Now she has a maintenance plan and has

it under control, she said.

“They really take the time to talk to you [about how to treat

it],” Conley said. “The last time she got sick I knew just what to

do.”

The Breathmobile sees about 15 patients a day, program manager and

registered nurse Silvia Amaro said. Most receive checkup

recommendations from the school nurse after they display symptoms

like coughing, wheezing and difficulty breathing.

About 10% of children in Orange County have asthma, Amaro said. In

her experience, it hits across the board, regardless of income, race

or location.

Children generally inherit the condition from their parents, she

said.

Most of the children treated at the Breathmobile, however, are

from low-income families. The program, funded by grants and corporate

donations, focuses on treating uninsured patients and helps them sign

up for programs like Healthy Families to get coverage.

Francisco Rubio, 9, visited the Breathmobile for the first time

Friday after suffering a recent asthma attack. His mother and little

sister came with him while he had a lung capacity test and had 13

drops of different allergens dotted on his forearms to check for

reaction.

He waited outside in the sunshine for 15 minutes and winced

slightly, waving his hands but keeping his arms as still as he could.

“It doesn’t hurt,” he said through an interpreter. “[It’s just

like] a little pinch.”

While he waited for the timer to go off, a nurse explained to his

mother in Spanish how to use his new inhaler and keep track of his

condition.

When his time was up, the doctor checked his reaction and found a

cat allergy. Luckily, his mother Guadalupe Rubio said, they don’t

have a cat at home.