The lifesaver every school should have

SUZANNE Wilson, whose nine-year-old daughter Sarah suffers from severe asthma, believes it is essential for schools to keep an asthma inhaler in their first aid kits.

“It’s a piece of life-saving apparatus which would give everyone peace of mind if a child’s inhaler gets lost or stolen,” said Ms Wilson.

And, Ms Wilson, 33, an administrator from Airdrie, also said all staff should be trained on recognising and dealing with asthma attacks.

“When Sarah started primary school I’d got duplicate prescriptions meaning the school had an inhaler for her. She also had an asthma action plan detailing things such as how many puffs of the inhaler to take before gym.

“But despite all that she was only five years old and couldn’t always articulate “I need my inhaler”. I’d pick her up from school and she’d be coughing and sometimes had to go to the GP or Accident & Emergency. This led to absences from school.

“If inhalers were a part of school first aid kits it might make people realise how serious asthma can be.”