Wellington City Councillor: 'Asthma can be scary. I know.'

Stephanie, 56, a Lambton Ward councillor, was hospitalised only six weeks ago when her asthma spun out of control despite having not bothered her for decades.

“This shows you how nasty asthma can be. It can and often does strike quite out of the blue. Although mine was a pretty extreme case. After all of that time not using inhalers, apparently not having asthma, a sudden attack put me in hospital. This shows you how things can go seriously wrong, this bolt from the blue.

“It’s not just frightening for you, but the people around you.

“Also I don’t want to scaremonger, but asthma does kill. In 2006, the last year for which such statistics are available, 132 New Zealanders’ lives were cut short by asthma.

“We need to support research for a cure. That is why I am encouraging Wellingtonians to get behind the street appeal on Friday.”

Asthma Awareness Week is 3 to 9 May 2010 and the Asthma Foundation is collecting funds to continue the good work that it enables in communities around Aotearoa and support research into a cure for asthma.


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For more information: The Asthma Foundation’s Communications Manager Malcolm Aitken on 027 62 52 835. Cr Stephanie Cook is available to talk with journalists too on 027 431 6812.