My name is Amara and I have asthma. I was diagnosed with asthma at the age of 3. During my years in high school, I was a member of The Gallia Academy Marching Band and my asthma didn’t give me any problems my first 2 years.
During my Junior year of high school at the age of 17 at the fourth football game, after performing our halftime show, I started to feel dizzy, had difficulty breathing and my heart was beating rapidly to a point where I started crying from the pain and fell while walking off the field. My band members, field commander and band director aided me off the field and made sure I was okay. My band director and some of my close friends took off my entire fall uniform and my shoes so I could control my breathing. They also gave me a bottle of water and food from the concession stand and let me rest and take a break from playing for the rest of the football game.
During my final year in marching band, after the halftime show, I fell down on the side line and started to go into a minor asthma attack. My band director immediately ran toward me and told someone to get the paramedics and I had to be sent to the emergency room. As soon as I got back to school, everyone that was in the band with me gave me a hug and asked how I was feeling.
My band director and some of my band members told me that I was a great role model for people that have asthma like I do and that I always had great enthusiasm and positive vibes that even though I have asthma, it never stopped me from doing what I love. I loved the heartfelt messages and comments that they said to me that I started to cry and made me feel so happy and special. I may have asthma, but it never stopped me from doing what I love during all of my 4 years of high school!
