Kick-Off Event Educates Those Impacted by Asthma
Families with children who suffer from asthma attended the East St. Louis Asthma Kick-Off event hosted by educators from the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Schools of Nursing and Pharmacy, in partnership with Harmony Health Plan of Illinois and the City of East St. Louis on Thursday. Celebrated Olympic athlete Jackie Joyner-Kersee spoke at the event held in the East St. Louis City Hall Rotunda.
The event served to engage and empower those impacted by asthma. The chronic lung disease is the number one reason children are hospitalized in the St. Louis Metro region.
Rhonda Comrie, associate dean of the SIUE School of Nursing and founder of the Southwestern Illinois Asthma Coalition, says helping children manage asthma is important, especially in East St. Louis. She adds that St. Clair County has the highest hospitalization rate in the entire state.
The kickoff is a precursor to the unified group’s asthma camp, scheduled for Saturday, June 27, at the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Center.
Photos: (Top L-R) Chosia Winters, age 11; Chansalee Winters, age 5; Lajayia Winters, teacher at Avant Elementary School in East St. Louis; Redir Barwari, third-year pharmacy student at SIUE; Kimberly Shubert, second-year pharmacy student at SIUE; and Sarah Lance, second-year pharmacy student at SIUE
(Bottom L-R) Miranda Kolenich, SIUE School of Nursing student; Jeremiah Park, age 10; and Christyanna Carter, age 10, both students at Gordon Bush Elementary
