Breathmobile

Patient Success Stories

Tyler Johnson

Tyler Johnson

Donna Bacon (Tyler's grandmother): I think the Breathmobile is wonderful. It has helped my granddaughter, Tyler. Tyler has been living with me since February (2004). When she first moved in, the Breathmobile staff was still watching her closely. Sometimes she would have asthma attacks.

When she first went there her asthma was not under control. They were saying Tyler was in the yellow and red zone most of the time, and they couldn't get her peak flow to a stable level because she was not on medicines regularly.

Since she's been with me it's been wonderful. I took her to the Breathmobile a couple of times and her asthma is now under control.

When she was younger she had asthma attacks that put her in the hospital. Once she started going to the Breathmobile, she was able to get her medications and they kept track of everything. They have done so well with her. I was following-up to find out what I had to do since she was in my custody to keep her on track and to help them. I wanted her to be comfortable.

They were able to give me medicine samples when Tyler didn't have insurance. They did a great job and were very good at explaining things. They gave me materials and papers with information on asthma and how to treat it -- how many times to take medication, what to watch for, etc.

At first I was afraid of asthma because I didn't know anything, so they helped educate me. They made me realize that Tyler could still do activities and I wouldn't have to worry or be so protective. She can play normally. Tyler is 10 years old. She rides bikes and likes to play with dolls, use the computer, dance and go swimming.

In fact, Tyler went to asthma camp for free this summer. It allowed her to see there are other children who have the same problem, so she doesn't have to feel different. They also taught her how to use her medication.

She was living in Baltimore City, and now she lives with me in Baltimore County. The Breathmobile is not in my area but they allow me to bring her to any school that is convenient for me. Since she was already attending they can keep checking her. They wanted to follow-up with her to see that she was still doing well.

Michelle Foster (an R.N. with the Breathmobile program) recently said that Tyler was doing very well and doesn't have to come back for at least 2-3 months unless there's a problem. She can just go to the regular doctor. The Breathmobile got her on track at controlling her asthma.

She hasn't been back in a couple of months, but I can always bring her back if there's a problem.

I think it's a wonderful program for the area. I feel that the parents and children all need it. It helps children when parents aren't capable of taking care of their kids. Some of these children need someone to care about their asthma. If it wasn't for the Breathmobile, Tyler wouldn't have been able to get her medicine; anything could have happened.

My granddaughter loves Michelle Foster. She cared enough about Tyler to go the extra mile. Michelle even called me to make sure Tyler was still with me and was getting her medicine. Tyler still talks to Michelle. They really do care about the children. The great thing is, parents don't have to go out of their way because the Breathmobile comes to them. It's very convenient.

The Breathmobile has been a blessing for a lot of people. The Breathmobile helps a lot of children get the care they need. Without the Breathmobile, there would be a lot of sickness and more children would end up in the hospital. I appreciate everything they've done for my granddaughter.

This page was last updated on: March 13, 2008.