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 Working Together to Help Students Breathe
In September, AANMA received the prestigious Summit Award for our "Breathe: It's The Law" campaign, which rallied people across the U.S. in support of laws to protect student access to lifesaving asthma and anaphylaxis medications at school. The American Society of Association Executives and The Center for Association Leadership created the Summit Awards to honor associations for innovative, community-based programs. AANMA was cited for fostering citizenship and providing a voice for members through involvement in the democratic process. But this award really belongs to AANMA members and supporters across the country. Students with asthma and anaphylaxis are safer at schools this year, thanks to all of you who spoke up, testified and wrote letters to protect students. Forty-seven states now have laws protecting access to medication for students with asthma and 37 also extend those rights to students with anaphylaxis. Check the laws in your state by visiting the Students and Medication at School page. AANMA thanks our corporate and government sponsors for their continued support of this important initiative. AANMA staff and their families accepted the Summit Award on behalf of the many dedicated people around the country who advocated for these state laws and helped students with asthma and anaphylaxis breathe easier.
Nancy Sander, President and Founder of Allergy & Asthma Network Mothers of Asthmatics, started the organization in 1985 to help families like hers struggling to care for seriously ill children. As both a parent and a patient advocate, Nancy knew from the start the importance of access to lifesaving asthma and anaphylaxis medication for children of all ages. Brooke Sander was the focal point of her family's life for many years due to her severe asthma and allergies. From starring in educational books and videos to writing a consumer column for AANMA's quarterly magazine, Brooke consistently provided first-hand asthma and allergy experiences for AANMA staff and members. Sandra Fusco-Walker, AANMA Director of Government Affairs, first joined the organization as a member and volunteer when her daughter Shannon's elementary school would not let her carry her inhaler on the school bus or in her classroom. When Sandra discovered that families across the country were facing the same life-threatening challenges, she worked with Nancy to develop a strategy to protect students with asthma and allergies. Shannon Walker, now a sophomore at Five Towns College in New York, knows all too well that asthma is a life-long and life-threatening respiratory disease. She recently shared her perspective with AANMA members through an article on making college an asthma-friendly experience. Marissa Magnetti was a Project Manager during AANMA's "Breathe: It's the Law" campaign. Marissa teamed with Nancy and Sandra to take AANMA's message of saving students' lives to Capitol Hill and then to state and local legislators.
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