"If you want to take part in sports, go for it!" | Darrell Pan Li Ren, 12

I have always loved field events like football, jumping and running. I even qualified for the National Junior Olympic Cross-Country Championships. Unless you saw me using my inhaler, you would never guess that I have asthma. Asthma is a lung disease that can make it hard to breathe. Breathing, as you know, is important when you're running a race or charging down the soccer field. Your body needs the oxygen it gets from breathing to function normally.

I discovered that I had asthma at the age of 8 in third grade. My family suspected that I had asthma when I had a bad cough that sounded like a bark, and it just would not go away. I then had a skin prick test to identify my trigger. They also put a "sleeve" on my finger to measure the amount of oxygen in my blood.

I had that test because allergies can cause the symptoms of asthma or make asthma worse. When I first heard that I had asthma I was scared and thought I would not be able to play sports anymore. Later, I realised that I can if I had good asthma control. The hardest thing about asthma is having to remember to take my medicines and remembering my asthma triggers.

My advice to other people with asthma is that if you want to take part in sports, go for it but make sure it is fine with your doctor. Always remember to have your inhaler with you and try to avoid vigorous sports.

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.