Education meets fun at camp for children diagnosed with asthma

Talya Starr Chavira already knew that smoke often triggered an asthma attack, and she said she knew pollen would cause the same thing.

This week, the 9-year-old said, she learned many other things that induce asthma attacks.

While she said learning about asthma is "just something you got to do," she would rather go to the planetarium.

Talya is spending much of this week at Camp Cool Kids, a camp for children diagnosed with asthma. The three-day camp, which began Tuesday, combines asthma education with fun activities.

On Wednesday, the 29 campers visited the Hastings Museum of Natural and Cultural History.

"The planetarium was the best part," said 10-year-old John Luderman, while walking out of the museum's planetarium and pointing out constellations on the walls.

The children, ages 6 to 13, learned asthma treatment and prevention strategies. More than 660 children in Adams County have asthma, said Sheri Trindle, a respiratory therapist and asthma educator at Mary Lanning Memorial Hospital.

"The kids are out there. It's just a matter of finding them and teaching them how to properly deal with asthma," said Trindle, who helped start the camp last summer.

Nurses, counselors, physicians, social workers and respiratory therapists teach lessons on recognizing what spurs asthma attacks and how to properly use treatment equipment, such as inhalers.

"Asthma health is all about control," Trindle said. "And it's learning these things over and over again. Repetition is key."

John said camp was fun because the kids get to do many activities. He knew everything about asthma before camp began, he said.

Camp Cool Kids attendees completed an obstacle course, went bowling and hosted their own carnival. Doloris Warner and Kristine Warner, both camp activities directors and Mary Lanning respiratory therapists, planned games with asthma in mind.

"If the activities are not based on asthma, well, then they have to answer an asthma question to play," Doloris said.

By the third day, she said, the questions become quite easy for the children.

"They're pretty sharp," Doloris said. "And that's the best thing for handling asthma. The kids have to know what to do themselves."