Emma’s Story

Every day in Alberta, a grandmother watches helplessly as her grandchild struggles to catch their breath. A father sits beside his aging mother’s hospital bed, listening to the labored sound of lungs fighting for air.

Right now, lung disease is silently devastating our most vulnerable loved ones, our children and seniors, across Alberta.

Meet Emma – and why your help matters.

Nine-year-old Emma, loved nothing more than chasing her friends around the playground. But last year, that simple joy became impossible. Severe asthma attacks left her gasping for breath, terrified and exhausted. Her mother, Jennifer, recalls rushing to the emergency room three times in one month.

“I felt so helpless watching my little girl struggle just to breathe,” Jennifer shares. “Emma would look at me with these scared eyes, and I didn’t know how to help her.”

Everything changed when Emma’s family connected with the Alberta Lung Association. We provided an asthma action plan that gave Jennifer confidence to manage Emma’s condition.

Today, Emma is back on the playground, laughing with her friends. “She’s like a completely different child,” Jennifer says. “She’s not afraid anymore and neither am I.”

But Emma’s story isn’t unique – and too many families are still waiting for help.

Childhood asthma rates in Alberta have climbed to alarming levels, with one in seven children now affected. These aren’t just statistics, they’re the little ones missing from school, sitting out from playtime, and waking their parents in the middle of the night gasping for air.

Our seniors are facing an equally devastating crisis. Take 73-year-old Robert, whose COPD diagnosis left him feeling isolated and dependent. Through our support programs, he learned breathing techniques that allowed him to continue his morning walks and spend quality time wiht his grandchildren.

But there is hope and it starts with you.

The Alberta Lung Association has been fighting lung disease for over 85 years, and we’re not giving up now. We’re funding groundbreaking research, providing life-saving education programs, and supporting families when they need us most.

With your help, we can ensure that no child has to choose between breathing and playing, and no senior has to face lung disease alone.

Your gift today will:

• Fund oxygen equipment for children who want to remain active and independent
• Provide free lung health screenings in communities across Alberta
• Support research into new treatments that could change everything for the next generation
• Deliver educational programs that teach families how to manage lung conditions at home

(Insert name), I know you understand the precious value of family. You’ve likely watched your own loved ones face health challenges, and you know how important it is to have support when you need it most.

That’s why I’m reaching out to you today. Your compassion and generosity have made a difference before, and right now, Alberta families desperately need champions like you.

Will you stand with us?

A gift of $50 could provide an inhaler chamber and training for a child like Emma. $100 could help a senior like Robert breathe easier. $250 could support a family through their entire journey with lung disease.

Every dollar you give goes directly to helping Alberta families breathe easier and live fuller lives.

Emma’s mother, Jennifer, wanted me to tell you something: “Please thank the donors who made Emma’s transformation possible. They gave us our daughter back – and gave Emma her childhood back.”

You have the power to write the next story of hope.

Time is critical, with every day that passes, more children and seniors are struggling without the support they desperately need.

Thank you for your caring heart and for being the kind of person who steps up when our community needs help most.

With deep gratitude,

Leigh Allard
President & CEO
Alberta Lung Association