Max is asthma free at last
from The Blue Mountains Gazette, Wednesday, October 13, 1999
Max (centre) can now enjoy a healthy and active life as here, gathering chestnuts on Mother's Day with his family.
When Jennifer Harris' two year old son Max could not breathe and was taken to St George Hospital in Kogarah, he was, like so many other Australians, diagnosed as asthmatic.
This first episode was the beginning of an 11 year battle with three hospitalisations within one year, and then finally a move to the cleaner air of the Blue Mountains. Even here Max's health governed the family's activities.
"We always packed the nebuliser and medications to fill it. Nights were spent `on guard' to make sure Max was okay, his schooling was frequently interrupted and every cold would turn into asthma," Jennifer said.
"It meant 11 years of watching my precious child lose his self-esteem and confidence because he couldn't run and play sport like his contemporaries. High school was the final pressure for Max. He felt he couldn't even get out of bed without having a nebuliser, and said "Mum, I may as well be dead."
"What else could be done? We were on good steroid management and using bronchodilation as needed. Unfortunately, it was frequently needed.
"Then, the ABC ran a story on the Buteyko breathing technique, the method of breathing developed by Professor Konstantin Buteyko back in the 50s.
"After some research we found a wonderful Buteyko practitioner in Sydney by the name of Jac Vidgen. Max and I both enrolled.
"Talk about freedom from asthma. Right from the very first session - a five day course, one to two hours each day - Max stopped needing his bronchodilator. He has learned to breathe correctly, to not continually over-breathe and to always breathe through his nose.
"My own health was so wonderfully enhanced by the breathing and when I saw Max give his breathing teacher a big hug and say "thank you for my life," I knew that as a grateful mother, singing and dance teacher, I had to become a Buteyko practitioner just so other parents could have their children and themselves set free from asthma.
"I graduated from my practitioner training at Buteyko Health Solution, Canberra, with Tessa Graham, on September 24," she said.
Those wanting more information on Buteyko and its methods can contact Jennifer on 0414 833-857.