He almost died from asthma. Now he leads a clean air group.

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When Qiyam Ansari was in high school, he was an honor roll student, acted in a musical, captained his Ultimate Frisbee and more. All the while, he had asthma, which he defined as well-managed until his junior year.

Ansari writes in a first-person essay about how an asthma attack, brought on by a temperature inversion, left him almost dead. Today, he found his calling in the Mon Valley, providing people the tools to survive.

Do you or someone you know have a story to tell like Ansari? PublicSource is currently looking for first-person essay pitches:

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Read more of Ansari's story and the other news from the week below. ⬇️

An asthma attack gave me a mission: Provide people in the Mon Valley with the tools to survive

‘Landfill tea’ steeps fracking waste near suburban communities

PPG, Rosedale Tech encourage women to enter male-dominated careers

Mowgli the friendly cat prompts concerns over releases of strays

Allegheny County’s smallest school district depends on big community spirit

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ICYMI FROM LAST WEEK

In Knob Fork, West Virginia, Pittsburgh-based EQT expanded its presence in the last few years. Near the natural gas producer's Sizemore Pad, four families have abandoned homes after reporting health issues and documenting their observations in repeated complaints to state and federal environmental regulators.
The Allegheny County Board of Health updated its healthy housing rules to improve safety, clarify the roles of tenants and landlords and align the regulation with international standards. Housing advocates say the changes don’t go far enough to protect vulnerable tenants.

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