Mia Fritsch-Anderson

I was diagnosed with severe asthma at age one and have lived with it all my life. Growing up, there were so many times I was watching my favorite show on tv and there was an asthmatic character being portrayed as a "nerd" or "weak" simply for needing to take their life saving medication. It happens all the time. Try going a whole evening without scrolling past a nerdy asthma stereotype during primetime TV. Right now as I type this Regular Sized Rudy is reaching for his inhaler on Bob's Burgers because he is nervous about talking to a girl. (That does not cause asthma, by the way. False medical information is dangerous.) But I never realized the extent of the problem until I came across a study of asthmatic teens that found that only twenty five percent would take their inhaler in front of their peers- even if their asthma attack was so serious it could be fatal! That is why I named my non-profit organization "Choose to Breathe." It seems silly, no one "chooses" to breathe, it is an involuntary reflex. But teens that would rather threaten their life than take their medication are in fact making a choice. I want them to take their medication and "choose to breathe."  

Why is it so important that kids and teens actually take their asthma inhalers when they need it? Because here in the United States, 1 out of 12 children has asthma- and it is a leading cause of school absenteeism, causing more than 10 million missed days of school every year. The social and economic impact of medication compliance in asthmatic kids and teens is huge.

Unfortunately, my experience is typical of what most kids with asthma struggle with every day. A recent 10-year study of asthmatic teens published in the British Medical Journal found that less than 25% of teenagers would use their life-saving medication in front of their peers, even if their attack were life threatening. In other words, three out of four asthmatic teens would rather risk their life than risk being labeled or made fun of. This reality served as the catalyst to create my nonprofit organization, Choose to Breathe. No one should ever feel ashamed for needing help breathing. My organization focuses on three aspects of asthma advocacy: Creating asthma education that kids and teens will retain, increasing inhaler compliance, and encouraging positive peer engagement.

Let's face it, teens are on social media a lot, so Choose to Breathe produces short, fun videos for Tik Tok and Instagram aimed at educating teens about asthma and reducing the stigma of inhalers. In just 2 years I have grown from 200 to 20K teen followers. In 2021, I was asked to partner with the Respiratory Health Association in an effort to increase their outreach to kids and teens. I am proud to say that they are using my videos and my input for reaching more kids as part of new content for FAN, their school-based asthma management program offered to kids throughout Illinois. FAN content reaches thousands of Illinois students. To tackle inhaler compliance, I produce inhaler covers in fun colors and bright patterns. The covers make inhalers less embarrassing to carry. I hand sew and donate free of charge through doctors' offices. Last year I gained a major inroad by partnering with Mobile Care Chicago and their Asthma Vans, who travel throughout Illinois treating underserved communities, and are now distributing my inhaler covers to patients. I am in talks to partner with the Consortium for Children’s Asthma Camps in 2023 to distribute covers nationwide to every child attending an asthma camp in the United States.

11 Americans die every day from asthma. This is due to two reasons, lack of access to medication, and as discussed above, medication compliance. There has been documented research and funding dedicated to providing medication to those in need. I have personally volunteered at a wonderful organization, the Respiratory Health Association, since the age of three, in their efforts to support this. However, little research or outreach has been done in terms of why teens will not take their medication, even when they have it. My project is incredibly unique. Additionally, the use of social media as the medium by which to reach teens regarding asthma and inhaler use is novel, and it can be highly successful.

The creation of fun inhaler covers for kids and teens is not a new concept. However, the average cost of one on a crafting website such as Etsy is approximately $10 each. If someone already cannot afford the $350 for an inhaler, they will not spend additional money. That is why I am partnering with local allergists where the medication is prescribed, and coupons and aid are often given. A child or teen can pick one up right in the waiting room, free of charge, and start using it immediately. Inside the inhaler cover package is also a card inviting them to post a selfie with the #choosetobreathe hashtag, which will in turn influence other teens to use their medication.

In my public peer outreach campaign, I encourage everyone who has asthma to post a selfie on social media with their inhaler and #choosetobreathe. Seeing peers publicly acknowledge inhaler use creates positive peer engagement for teens and will help normalize inhaler use. I have recently partnered with Athletes Vs. Asthma and it has been exciting seeing football players participating! My eventual goal is to have well known celebrities and public role models with asthma participate. Do you think I can get Harry Styles? He has asthma!

The messages in my inbox continue to tell me Choose to Breathe has more work to do. Just last week, I received an email from a group of teens who thought it would be funny to fake an asthma attack and send it to me. But for every message I get like that, I also get one from someone like Jill, a school nurse. “I tell all my students to watch your videos. Keep doing what you are doing!” Being a Prudential Emerging Visionary will propel Choose to Breathe even further, helping to strengthen my state and national partnerships and reach more teens. I have already been able to grow my organization rapidly on my own but with the mentorship of Prudential and Ashoka could reach even more. My ultimate goal is anytime a teen reaches for their inhaler, they will not feel that shame I felt, and they will “choose to breathe” instead of risking their life.