Kim Chiu Call for Winners Against Asthma 2015  

One day, while Kim Chiu was home alone having fun with her pet dog, for reasons she could not remember anymore, she started coughing uncontrollably.  Moments later, she was trying to catch her breath that was getting really short and shallow and her fingers started to tighten-up.   She was 16 then, she had an asthma attack.  She and her family didn’t know she had asthma until she got her allergic reaction triggered from the dog fur.

Kim Chiu was just starting in showbiz back then, and her schedule was getting very busy, which might be something that also led to her immune system go down which lead to trigger her asthma.   But unlike other families and people who suffered asthma, she did not let this slow her down.  She continued working and pursued her showbiz career and is now recognized as The Teen Box Office Queen in Philippine Entertainment Industry.

Just like Kim Chiu,  Amel Pineda and Michael Christian Martinez also have asthma and they did not let their asthma slow them down.    If you know any other asthmatic people like them who accomplished so much then this is the time for them to be recognized

Yesterday, February 5, 2015, GSK launch the Search for Winners Against Asthma 2015 which aims to choose amd recognize 10 young asthmatic achievers from different walks of life.

The advocacy likewise introduces Olympic figure skater Michael Christian Martinez as the new face of the campaign. Martinez, an asthmatic, began experiencing asthmatic bronchitis when he was just two months old.

Christian was not able to make it to the event as he was practicing for the Olympics but we had him on live phone-patch from California where he shared his experience being an asthmatic person.   He recalls being in the hospital frequently and says the cold rink actually helped improve his health.

“Year after year my health keeps improving. so my mother fully supported me to continue skating saying its better to spend the money on skating than in the hospital.”

The program is a nationwide search for young asthmatic achievers aged 30 years and younger who are outstanding in their respective fields despite having asthma and inspire asthma sufferers that they too can win against asthma.

The rationale for the target age group is driven by the feet that asthma is one of the most important chronic disease during childhood causing substantial morbidity. Uncontrolled asthma is associated with a reduced lung function. impaired performance in physical exercise, and impaired quality of life.  More severe asthma leads to more frequent school absenteeism which may negatively affect an individuals level of education and possibly choice of career. People within this age group are in the process of developing the necessary knowledge and skills that will enable them to achieve their goals in life and asthma should not deter them from realizing their full potential. Thus it is necessary at this earty stage to raise their awareness on asthma and how they can win against it.

The Search for Winners Against Asthma will run from February until May 2015 and will be touring different schools and drugstore outlets to spread the advocacy and invite more -people to join the campaign.

The deadline for submission of entries is on March 31 2015. All entries will be screened during the first week of April. As we celebrate World Asthma Day on May 5. the top 20 finalists will be announced and will be immediately followed by online voting. The top 10 Winners Against Asthma will be announced and awarded by the 3rd week of May 2015.

This advocacy campaign is supported  by the Philippine College of Physicians (POP), Philippine Academy of Family Physicians (PAFP), Philippine Society of Allergy Asthma and (PSAAI). Huawei and Fokded & Hung.

For more information please visit http://www.facebook.com/winagainstasthma.

Stay gorgeous everyone!