"Asthma has many more variants than people realize — it affects every child differently," says Teretha. As a registered nurse, she understood from the beginning the importance of helping her son follow an asthma maintenance plan.
When Malcolm was a small child, he saw Charles Dadzie, M.D., a pediatric pulmonologist at K. Hovnanian Children's Hospital at Jersey Shore University Medical Center, for his asthma treatment. The Asthma Center at K. Hovnanian Children's Hospital helped Teretha and Malcolm create an asthma plan and stick with it.
"The Asthma Center has been wonderful in using new testing to evaluate how Malcolm's asthma has changed through different development and growth stages," Teretha says. "They've also prescribed new medications that help us keep it under control."
Providing Education and Support
The purpose of the Asthma Center is not only to diagnose and treat children with asthma, but also to provide education and support to the entire family.
"Learning your child has asthma can be overwhelming at first. We help explain the condition and partner with patients and their families to help manage it," explains Rosie Baselici, R.N., clinical coordinator of the Center. "Every visit is a teaching episode."
Children and their parents can learn about topics such as:
- The connection between asthma and allergy triggers
- How to identify and avoid triggers
- How asthma medications work and when to take them
- How to recognize if asthma is not controlled
- How to exercise with asthma
Individual Evaluation and Care
Children visit the Center every few months so that their asthma can be tracked through each season.
"At every visit, we test the patient's lung function. This provides important information on how to fine-tune their medications," explains Dr. Dadzie. "We also provide parents with a pulmonary diary to help identify their child's triggers and track potential patterns. Our goal is to help patients live life to the fullest."
Malcolm is doing just that. He is a ballet, jazz, modern, and tap dancer, sometimes practicing hours a day. He performs throughout the area and is auditioning for performing arts schools. He also plays the trombone for his high school's band.
"My son is smart about his asthma and has learned the steps he needs to take to keep it under control," Teretha says. "He has never let his asthma keep him from doing what he loves."
About the Doctor
Charles K. Dadzie, M.D.Board certified in Pediatrics, Pediatric Critical Care Medicine, and Pediatric PulmonologyNeptune | 732-776-4268
