Villages Airheads target lung disease awareness, education and coping strategies

By GLENDA SANDERS, DAILY SUN

THE VILLAGES — Taken any deep breaths of fresh air recently? If you have, be thankful for the ability to do so.

Most of The Villages “Airheads” have to work hard to accomplish what usually is an automatic function that most people take for granted. Many members of this six-year-old support group have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, COPD for short, and struggle to get oxygen into their lungs and carbon dioxide out of their body.

The Airheads, with a database of 300 and approximately 175 active members, help each other cope through sharing information and understanding.

“We teach people how to deep-breathe and control breathing,” said member Nick Jones.

They also host exercise sessions, which might seem inadvisable for people who must fight to get their breath. Actually, the opposite is true.

“The primary reason for being out of breath is muscles calling for oxygen,” Jones said. “Fit muscles require less oxygen.”

Looking ahead

The Airheads are planning some ambitious projects to reach out and help others in the community.

In February, they will host The Villages Airheads’ Joyride to raise money for the American Lung Association of Florida — Central Area. The Joyride, to be held at The Villages Polo Club on Feb. 27, 2008, will include a one-lap, at-your-own-pace asthma walk around the polo field, a golf cart parade and a golf cart rally with booths set up by golf cart dealers.

Teams composed of friends, neighbors, golfing buddies, bowling leagues and clubs are encouraged to participate.

Much of the money raised by the event will be used for educational programs to increase public awareness of chronic lung disease, to help children with asthma understand and control their condition, and to promote smoking-prevention programs in area schools.

“They’re taking on a big responsibility this year,” said Jones, Joyride chairman, referring to the American Lung Association. “They’re trying to get asthma prevention programs to elementary schools and tobacco prevention in every high school.”

“Our goal is to have ‘Open Airways’ in 398 schools by 2010,” said Marcie Dearth, development manager for the American Lung Association of Florida — Central Area, which provides services to eight Florida counties, including Lake and Sumter.

“Open Airways For Schools” is a series of six 40-minute group lessons for children with asthma. In 2006, Airways was provided to 55 schools in the eight counties.

Originally developed by Columbia University’s College of Physicians and Surgeons, the program was piloted in a clinical setting and later adapted for use in schools. Using a fun format with group discussions, stories, games and role playing, facilitators teach children with asthma about the disease, how to recognize symptoms, how to avoid asthma triggers, and the importance of getting plenty of exercise.

According to the American Lung Association, “Open Airways for Schools” has been shown to increase asthma management skills, reduce symptoms through trigger avoidance and improve overall school performance by the children who took the training.

Equally important, the program has helped reduce school absences and use of health care services.

“Asthma is one of the primary reasons for absenteeism in elementary schools,” Jones said.

In addition to “Open Airways,” the American Lung Association also teaches “Not On Tobacco,” a smoking-prevention program for older grades; smoking cessation programs for adults; and programs to increase awareness of the danger of secondhand smoke.

Giving back

Volunteer facilitators are essential to the American Lung Association’s ability to make “Open Airways” and other educational programs available to schools. Facilitators attend training classes to learn how to present the classes and interact with children.

Jones is hoping that The Villages Airheads’ Joyride will make people aware of the need for facilitators to help the American Lung Association meet its goal of bringing its educational programs into every elementary classroom.

Dearth shares Jones’ hope.

“Events are really more for awareness to recruit volunteers,” Dearth said. She said the classes for facilitators are offered throughout the area as demand dictates.

Villages Airheads president Sandy Grella said sponsoring a major fundraiser for the American Lung Association also will raise the visibility of the Airheads and what they do.

“It would raise awareness of COPD,” Grella said.

Jones said he currently is searching for sponsors for the Joyride and would like to find an anchoring sponsor.

Anyone wanting information about forming a team for the Joyride, volunteering for the facilitator program or sponsoring the event can call Jones at 751-1313.

Glenda Sanders is a features writer for the Daily Sun. She can be reached at 753-1119, ext. 9245, or glenda.sanders@thevillagesmedia.com.