Asthma, a chronic respiratory condition characterized by airway inflammation and constriction, can be frighteningly unpredictable and, in severe cases, fatal if not treated promptly and appropriately

In October 2012, the world learned a tragic lesson in how vital access to medication can be for those who live with this condition.

Twelve‑year‑old Ryan Gibbons, a Grade 7 student from Straffordville Public School, Ontario, Canada, loved life, sports, and being outdoors with friends and  family.

Like so many children his age, Ryan enjoyed running, playing, and participating actively in school recess and sports activities with classmates.

Ryan had been diagnosed with asthma — a condition requiring regular management and, crucially, fast access to rescue medication known as an inhaler.

An asthma attack causes tightening of the muscles around airways, coughing, wheezing, and difficulty breathing, which can escalate rapidly without prompt intervention.

During recess, Ryan began to experience severe difficulty breathing, the classic signs of an exacerbation that demanded immediate action and an inhaler.

However, his rescue inhaler was not immediately accessible to him; it had been stored away in the principal’s office under a school policy that restricted students’ access to medication.

Ryan’s friends saw him struggling and attempted to help, carrying him toward the office in hopes he could reach his inhaler in time.