Asthma fundraising walk Saturday

Watching your child struggle to breathe is a parent’s nightmare.

Last June, Tawni Spargur experienced that nightmare firsthand when her then 10-year-old son Austin battled a life-threatening attack of asthma.

Austin survived. Others are not so fortunate. Austin is one of more than 20 million Americans who suffer from asthma, a disease linked to 4,000 deaths annually in the United States. According to the American Lung Association, two people in the state die each week from asthma-related incidents.

Austin Spargur and his family are serving as the 2007 Family Team Chair for the 5K Blow the Whistle on Asthma Walk at Mirabeau Point Park on Saturday..

“People don’t understand asthma,” Tawni Spargur said. “It’s very scary. If it’s not treated well it takes your life away.”

Early diagnosis is essential in treating and managing the disease but diagnosing asthma in children can be difficult. “I didn’t attribute his symptoms to asthmatic symptoms,” Spargur said. “My parents both have asthma and they gasp when they have an attack. I didn’t think his coughing was asthma. Now I can tell when he is coughing he could potentially be having an asthma attack.”

“That is the scary thing about asthma,” said Cindy Thompson, American Lung Association Eastern Washington regional director. “A person with asthma looks normal. They just struggle to breathe. You probably know someone who suffers from asthma.”

One of the factors leading to Austin’s diagnosis was his struggle in sports.

“He just wasn’t able to keep up with the other kids,” Tawni Spargur said. “We tried different things to build up his stamina but they didn’t work so we ended up in the doctor’s office.”

Diagnosed at age 8 with exercise-induced asthma, Austin kept his illness under control with medication until his attack last June when he caught a virus at school. The virus brought on a severe cough, causing his doctor to administer breathing treatments every six hours for five days.

While Austin was ill, Tawni endured seemingly endless sleepless nights. This led to a weakening of her immune system, and she contracted pneumonia. Over the course of two months, multiple X-rays and a CAT scan revealed a persistent spot on her lung. A PET scan provided the diagnosis she had stage one of bronchioloalveolar, a rare form of lung cancer.

“I tell people all the time Austin’s asthma attack saved my life,” Tawni Spargur said. “I probably wouldn’t have had a lung X-ray had I not gotten sick taking care of him.”

Though the road to recovery is not always easy, the Spargurs are working toward getting their lives back to normal.

“I think about all the progresses we’ve made,” Tawni Spargur said. “Austin didn’t want to play sports, now he skateboards every day. We’ve made huge strides.”

During her time of need, Tawni reached out to the American Lung Association for information and support. This began a mutual relationship with a common goal to create awareness on the seriousness of asthma and lung disease. As part of the fundraising effort, each member of the Spargur family organized a team. Austin and his seven other teammates raised $260, his sister Hailey raised $300 with a nine-member team and Tawni, who works for Safeco, has 56 people on the Safeco Cares team.

The goal for the walk is to raise $50,000. More than 40 teams registered with an estimated 500 to 600 walkers expected. The walk is not limited to teams. Individual walkers are encouraged to participate.

Other activities include face painting and free pizza for walkers provided by David’s Pizza. Students from Summit School plan to give out water bottles at the finish line and all participants are eligible to win prizes. There will be mascot appearances by Spokane Indians Otto, Old Country Buffet Bee, and Mr.Ciggy Butts