Glenn and Mary Wiley, of Westfield Center in Medina County, have run a nonprofit since 2021 to improve the quality of life for children with asthma. On May 1, the couple announced plans to expand their programming for the new school year.
The Wileys, who began the nonprofit in memory of their son, Reid, who died from asthma-related complications in late 2020, are partnering with the American Lung Association to offer a back-to-school backpack program for the 2025-2026 school year.
The pilot program will provide students with asthma with a backpack that includes a bilingual book detailing how kids can control their asthma while staying active, a one-page asthma educational pamphlet for students and parents and other school supplies.
Glenn Wiley said educating families on asthma is essential.
“Asthma is kind of a somewhat forgotten disease," he said. "A lot of people don't realize it can take someone's life. We wanted to make sure that no other family had to deal with the tragedy that we had to deal with.”
Under the Wileys' existing program, school nurses and other school-based health professionals can apply for free educational supplies, including a flipchart that provides asthma information, and a number of free training programs for school nurses, teachers, pharmacy students and health education students. The trainings help children with asthma detect warning signs, triggers and make decisions about their health.
Mary Wiley said parents and teachers need to know what triggers children’s asthma attacks, and how best to respond.
“What is going to trigger a sudden asthma attack? Right now, we're heading into spring, so pollen is very heavy. Allergies — seasonal, year-round — can trigger asthma attacks," she said. "Change of temperatures... Reid was very susceptible to the change of weather. Everyone has a slightly different trigger. That's the knowledge that you need so you can manage that."
She suggested parents work with pediatricians, school nurses and primary care doctors to determine those triggers and how best to respond to them.
In addition to educational materials and training, the Wileys' foundation offers stipends to provide emergency stock asthma medications in schools, including albuterol inhalers.
Widespread access to emergency inhalers is essential, Mary Wiley said.
"The ultimate goal would be to provide all schools in Ohio with the albuterol inhalers, the rescue inhalers, so when that child is experiencing an attack, they don't have their inhaler on them in their backpack, they can go to the school nurse and she is able to get them that quick fix to prevent any further tragedies," she said.
