Letters to the Editor
Dear Synapse,
Thank you for publishing the article, “May is Asthma Awareness Month” to promote awareness of this lifelong lung disease. While public awareness of asthma has increased and asthma therapy has improved significantly over the past decade, there remains a high rate of asthma morbidity, especially among homeless children.
Every year, about 1.5 million children experience homelessness and over 30 percent of homeless children have asthma. This is three times greater than the asthma rate for all children in the U.S.
Homeless children with asthma suffer more symptoms, rely on acute medical care more frequently, and use medications less often than other asthmatic children. Not only do these homeless children have to live with a chronic illness, but they also face poverty, shelter and street life, abuse, as well as violence that makes it nearly impossible for them to manage asthma on a daily basis.
Local asthma programs throughout the country have focused on promoting asthma education for low-income children and their caregivers. Some asthma projects utilize community health workers and nurses to provide a cost-effective yet holistic approach on helping families take control of asthma within the context of their socioeconomic limitations. Other programs, such as Kickin’ Asthma in Oakland, empower children and teens within their schools to educate their peers about asthma. Significant improvement in asthma-related symptoms, medication usage, and hospitalization has resulted from such interventions.
With more children losing health-care coverage and their homes in this economic downturn, healthcare professional students are in a unique position to help these children face the challenges of living with asthma. As classes end for the summer, students may have time to collaborate with local shelters and community clinics on developing asthma intervention projects. For example, they can conduct weekly sessions at a family shelter about trigger avoidance, inhaler use and asthma attack action plans. Students can also create an asthma screening tool for shelters to use when admitting new families and children.
Indirect management of asthma, such as strategies on coping with life stressors, is particularly helpful in ameliorating the psychosocial symptoms related to asthma. Asthma is a pervasive illness that affects all aspects of daily life. However, children and their families can be educated and empowered to make daily adjustments in their life to cope with this illness.
There is no better time than now for aspiring health-care professionals to make a difference in promoting a healthier life for homeless children with asthma. To begin, they can check out the websites of local organizations that are geared toward homeless children and asthma:
Thank you,
Ai-Hua Hu
RN
Family Nurse Practitioner
Student,
UCSF School of Nursing
Dear Synapse:
Several weeks ago a “documentary” was shown in Cole Hall entitled Religulous by Bill Maher. The point of the movie, according to the Internet Movie Database (IMDB), was to “…prove that having faith and seeking directions from God is basically ridiculous and may be due to a neurotic disorder”. The showing of this movie, for me, was the culmination of an ongoing attack against those who believe there is a God, and particularly against Christians. It has taken me some time to gather my composure so that I might offer a response.
As a Christian, I was greatly offended by this movie (which I did watch). However, I think I was more disappointed by the fact that our campus, which affirms that it is a place “where all persons who participate in University activities can work together in an atmosphere free of all forms of abusive or demeaning communication,” would allow the showing of a movie wholly devoted to demeaning the religious beliefs, and in fact mental standing, of an entire segment of the UCSF campus community.
At this juncture I am not inclined to make an attempt to defend the Christian faith. I do not believe it needs my defense. But, I would like to take a little time to point out that, as a Christian, there is not one iota of my being that is ashamed of my faith. Furthermore, I want to point out that the principles of Christianity are not hateful toward any segment of society, and the true spirit of Christianity is one of unconditional love. Allow me to repeat this – the true spirit of Christianity is one of unconditional love. However, it must be emphasized that while Christianity’s fundamental principle is “unconditional love” of every person, this does not equate to “unconditional acceptance” of everything a person might desire to do. I believe any parent who has ever raised a child can understand this.
The collection of documents contained in what is generally called the “Bible” (or Scripture), is the primary basis for the Christian religion. I am of the opinion that before any person endeavors to support or vilify something they need to do their due diligence to discover the facts prior taking a position. It is truly sad that so many people, like Bill Maher, have developed a disdain and/or outright hatred for Christianity based on so-called representatives of the religion today, rather than taking the time to research the primary source providing Christianity’s history and aim – Scripture. For me, this could be akin to a person hating or vilifying American ideals based on the likes of Timothy McVeigh, rather than seeking to learn about those ideals from the U.S. Constitution, Bill of Rights, and/or other founding documents.
As a person who has “chosen” to be a Christian, I am expected to abide by the biblical standard I have just pointed out. This means that I must strive to conduct myself in a manner consistent with the teachings and examples of Christ as provided in Scripture. As with most choices, there were costs and benefits that needed to be weighed. I made the “choice” to be a Christian freely, so I am willing to accept the cost of it just as much as I might look forward to any benefit. For example, I might like to drive beyond the speed limit, but the standard I have “chosen” to follow tells me to drive within speed limits; I might want to get intoxicated after a long hard week of working, but the standard I have “chosen” to follow may instruct me to remain sober; I may desire to be sexually promiscuous, but the standard I have “chosen” to follow may instruct me to limit my sexual fulfillment to my wife. Is this really all that strange or ridiculous? Now, to be clear, choosing such a standard to live by does not mean that a person won’t fail to live up to the standard at times (God knows I have stumbled in life), but what it does mean is that s/he will keep striving to reach and maintain the standard chosen.
In addition, I am free, at any time, to “choose” to stop following this standard (thereby accepting the requisite benefit or detriment attached thereto). However, I am not at liberty to change or dismiss certain portions of the standard to suit my individual notions of what should or should not be accepted. If I would choose to reject a part of the standard, then I would necessarily be rejecting the whole. Thus, I am to conform to the tenets of Christianity, not to attempt to twist Christianity so that it conforms to me. Frankly, I find it disingenuous for a “church” to identify itself with “Christ,” thereby seemingly adopting his direction, but then embrace behavior that conflicts with his teachings. To me, this is ‘ridiculous’ and dishonest. Personally, I would prefer to have someone present me with the whole truth of a matter and allow me the option to accept or reject it, rather than to coddle me with half-truths in order to appease my desires.
I have made the “choice” to be a Christian because I have studied the tenets of the Christian faith from the source; I believe the human body, the earth, and the Universe are too complex to have come into being without a designer; and I believe that my very short time span on Earth is not the end of my existence. I will stand before my creator one day.
As a result of this “choice,” I have been, and will continue to be, deemed “ridiculous” by many people. In fact, I realize to make such claims has relegated me to the lowest form of intellectual being in the mind of some. As stated, I am not inclined to defend against such attacks. I will only say that my “choice” to accept Christianity is based on knowledge gained through research and study. I am not ashamed of this in the least.
I hope that the campus community will be true to its stated principles and respect this expression, which is likely a “different” view from others. I am not seeking anonymity though I do have the same concerns, based on experience and observation, as a previous “anonymous” writer. I hope I am not subject to retribution for my views.
T. Senigar
Programmer/Analyst
UCSF