Push for Policy Change
Ryan’s death was entirely preventable if only he had been permitted to carry his inhaler with him instead of having it locked away in an office. Sandra explained that she was unaware of the law that stated that inhalers must be kept in the principal’s office and be administered by an adult. The problem, as she found out, was that inhalers were grouped along with all the other possible medications that a child might need to have at the school. While she understands the need for this law for other kinds of medications, for children with asthma, having the inhaler locked away makes no sense. Not having their medication with them only adds to their stress and worsens asthma attacks.
“I received many a phone call stating Ryan had taken an inhaler to school and they found it in his bag and would like me to come pick it up because he wasn’t even allowed to bring it home with him,” she recalled. “There’s supposed to be one in the office and that’s the only one he can have. I didn’t understand why.”
Following Ryan’s heartbreaking death, his mother, Sandra Gibbons, embarked on a mission to advocate for a policy change that would allow students with asthma to carry their puffers with them at school. This would allow for immediate use during emergencies, which would have saved her son’s life.