"I believe keeping my symptoms under control is good enough to lead a comfortable life" | Nurin Amina Tan, 14

The second I was born, the doctor wrapped me into a “baby burrito” with a cotton blanket and laid me on my mother’s chest as she cradled her newborn. A while later, they realised I was not breathing properly. My tiny mouth had been gasping for air as my lungs caved in. I was then separated from my mother and sent to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) to be put in an incubator.

My oxygen levels were slowly depleting; hence, a nebuliser mask was attached to my face. As the weeks went by, the doctors saw a steady recovery and felt it was safe for me to go home. As a newborn, you’d expect to go home from the hospital with a new teddy bear or baby toys from your relatives. However, I came home with an inhaler and medicines. I had to use it every time I started wheezing.

It did annoy me in the beginning but as the years passed, I began to understand that it was a medical condition I had to suffer from for the rest of my life. “Why me?” I used to question when I was growing out of the toddler phase and beginning to understand the world around me. Come to think of it, I never answered that question. I just learned to swallow the pill and reminded myself to bring my inhaler everywhere I went. It definitely hasn’t been easy, but I believe keeping my symptoms under control is good enough to lead a comfortable life.

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.