Asthma kids in Bhopal come together to celebrate Holi with crayons by participating in a drawing competition.
The festival of colours - Holi infusing fun and excitement in our lives could pose a threat for a few suffering from asthma. With a view to creating this awareness, the event was organized on 17th March 2011. Invites were sent to kids in the city with asthma for participating in a drawing competition. The venue dressed up with colourful balloons and ribbons welcomed a pack of 35 kids accompanied with their parents. With pencils and crayons, the kids started giving shapes to their imagination. Soon they were seen peeping into each other’s drawings, sharing their crayons, explaining their creation, asking each other’s names and by the end of the 45mins competition, the kids had truly bonded with each other.
It was a great platform even for the parents to connect and learn how other families are managing their child’s asthma. Post the drawing competition, Dr. Vinod Jain from Anushree Hospital addressed the parents and media explaining that the colours used in Holi could act as a trigger and therefore even patients who have their asthma well under control are advised to avoid the trigger. They explained that it is not only important to take regular medication as prescribed, but also to understand the triggers and avoid them.
This was followed by a Q&A session where the parents were able to voice out their concerns and doubts with their child’s asthma which was answered by the doctor.
The media was also seen anxiously taking down the key messages and spoke to the doctor and few families. Dr. Vinod Jain later evaluated the drawings and three best paintings were felicitated with gifts and excellence certificates. The rest of the kids received certificates of participation at the ceremony.
The event was truly successful as it brought together the parents, doctors and kids. And with media covering the event, asthma found a mention in most of the publications which spread the word to the people at large in Bhopal.
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