"I try not to let asthma prevent me from doing what I enjoy." | Leong Yong-Kang, 16

I was born with asthma. From a young age, I have never been able to play like the other children in the park or join my friends in sports. That was until I got my first inhaler.

But of course, life isn’t that fair. My inhaler became my other half. Without it, I felt unsafe, worried, and anxious. I tried to prevent people from finding out about my condition, but eventually, they would always know. The one thing that made me feel insecure about myself, was the one thing everyone knew about.

If I step out of the safe zone even for a moment, the next thing I know, I'd be scrambling for my inhaler, red in the face, and gasping for breath. It felt like I was chained at the ankle. Whenever I felt free, the chain grabbed me at my foot, reminding me that I'm never free from this.

Thankfully, over the years, my asthma has improved. I couldn’t push myself too far or too hard, but it is a big step up from my childhood years. I try not to let asthma prevent me from doing what I enjoy. Today, I'm a dancer, and maybe all the practice has made me feel better, but now I know my limits, and when not to push them.

I rarely meet people who know how I feel, but my friends do try their best to be there for me whenever I have an attack. Sometimes I wish and wonder what it would feel like to be born ‘normal’, but even so, I have learnt to accept myself for who I am.

Real Life Asthma Stories Booklet

This asthma life story is part of a booklet of stories created for community engagement in Malaysia. Read all the stories in the booklet produced by the University of Malaya and Universiti Putra Malaysia, RESPIRE partner organisations in Malaysia.