My Interest in Asthma
Our son, Christopher D. Redding, was a 3-sport student-athlete (football, wrestling, track and field) at Lake Zurich High School. He excelled in academics, sports, and leadership qualities. Chris was diagnosed with exercise-induced asthma during his junior year in high school (2002) after running in a track meet. We thought it was an isolated event..we were not educated on asthma nor on the importance of Christopher carrying his inhaler with him at all times. Chris graduated from high school in 2003 and was recruited to play football at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa. Chris returned home during Thanksgiving break of his freshman year. On the day that he was to return to Drake University, he went for a jog and collapsed just two blocks from our home. He died instantly of an exercise-induced asthma attack…he did not have an inhaler with him. Our Foundation was formed, in his memory, to educate youth and families about asthma management so that other families would not have to suffer the same unnecessary tragedy as our family.

Our mission is to educate, advocate, and provide services for families and youth suffering from asthma, with a focus on lessening the potentially adverse health effects on asthmatic children, youth, and young adults involved in athletics. We focus our efforts in underserved communities with a focus on high asthma-prevalent areas.

Working Together with Chicago Asthma Consortium
Chicago Asthma Consortium has provided educational and networking opportunities since our Foundation was launched in 2015. As a member of the Community Advisory Board, I have been able to provide feedback, on a grass-roots community level, on ongoing asthma projects that seek to positively impact underserved communities.

What We Provide the Asthma Community in Chicago
Through collaborative partnerships, the Christopher D. Redding Youth Asthma Foundation, provides asthma management education through workshops, health fairs, and community events. We provide competitive college scholarships to graduating student athletes with a medically diagnosed case of asthma and scholarships to asthma camps for youth. We collaborate with MobileCare Chicago to identify opportunities for asthma screenings in schools and recreational venues and participate in Illinois asthma advocacy efforts. Please contact us for assistance.