29/06/2010

Did you know hundreds of Australians die each year from asthma?

Did you know while Australia has one of the highest rates of asthma in the world, many asthma deaths are preventable?

Anne Wormald does. Anne is a Regional Asthma Educator for The Asthma Foundation of Queensland. Her contribution to the community is so important and so valued by us, we wanted to share her story with you...

My name is Anne Wormald and I have four children, Isaac, Lilly, Annabelle and Samuel, as well as a wonderful husband, Mitch. They all love me, but I’m a bit of a chatter box! So, to give their ears a break, I go and talk to teachers, nurses, and community groups in my role as a Regional Asthma Educator.

I have a 12 year nursing history; hospital (paediatrics mostly), nursing homes, special schools and currently, pharmacy. At the beginning of 2009, I did the Asthma Education and Management Course at The Asthma Foundation of Queensland. I learnt so much from this course and couldn’t believe that as a nurse I had so many gaps in my own knowledge of asthma. On completing the course I was thrilled to hear that there was an opportunity to become a Regional Asthma Educator and help others to improve their knowledge too. I have been doing this for just over twelve months now.

In the workshops I conduct, we talk about asthma triggers, signs and symptoms, medication and finish with a specific focus on asthma first aid. In the pharmacy, I talk one on one with people helping them to use and understand their medications and devices, and also run community workshops. I think everyone walks away having learnt something and having increased their confidence in how to deal with someone who has asthma. I love getting feedback like "I have had asthma all my life but I didn’t know that". Most importantly, asthma first aid gives them a life saving skill.

I really love the work that I do for the Foundation. I work in a regional setting but I am constantly supported by the Brisbane team. They supply me with resources, update the workshops to make sure that the information is current and relevant, and allow me to expand my own knowledge through professional development opportunities.

If you know of a group of people who would benefit from an asthma workshop, it would be my pleasure to help.  It's true, I really do love to talk, but asthma is a topic that is really not taked about enough.

Anne

Anne Wormald

The Foundation has placed an important focus on increasing services to regional and remote areas of Queensland.  Your donations help us place more Regional Asthma Educator’s like Anne, across the state.  In turn, the extra support in these communities will help people better manage their asthma and help reduce the number of preventable asthma deaths.