SEPTEMBER 2021

Meet the Little Lungs–Alvie & Olie

A Letter from the New Breathe Southern California Mascots

Hello, Breathe SoCal Community!

Our names are Alvie & Olie–also known as The Little Lungs–and we are stepping in for Marc this month to introduce ourselves to all of you!

As twins, we are very alike. We both love playing outdoors and enjoy watching funny movies that make us laugh. But sometimes it's tough to do what we love because we both have asthma.

Did you know that asthma is the leading serious chronic illness among children in the United States? In Los Angeles County alone, pediatric asthma cases result in more than 20,000 emergency room visits, and almost 3,000 hospitalizations each year.

These facts are scary, but we haven't let them stop us! We are on a continuing quest to manage our symptoms so that we can have more time to play, go to school, and just be kids.

You can support our journey by paying close attention to your everyday actions, so as not to trigger our symptoms.

Like other kids with asthma, we are very sensitive to the world around us.

If you smoke or vape, drive a polluting car, or light up your fireplace while we are around, we will start to cough and we may have trouble breathing.

If you would like to bring our fun-loving energy into your home, scroll to the bottom to check out Breathe SoCal's brand new online store, with eco-friendly products featuring us–The Little Lungs!

Stay up-to-date on our asthma journey by visiting the Breathe SoCal website at breathesocal.org, following us on social media @BreatheSoCal, or following our President & CEO, Marc Carrel, @mcarrel. We can't wait to learn more about our asthma with all of you!

In Health,

Alvie & Olie

The Little Lungs

Help Alvie & Olie Manage Their Asthma

Alvie and Olie are counting on your support to help them, and other kids, take control of their asthma symptoms. Here are some actions that you can take to help The Little Lungs.

Don't Smoke Near Kids

Over 40% of children who go to the emergency room for asthma live with smokers.

Quitting smoking is not easy, but it is important. Until you quit, make sure not to smoke around children or others who have asthma. Learn more about the effects of smoke on asthma here.

Exercise Fire Caution

The smoke and toxins released when you light a fire in your fireplace–or even your wood burning stove–can trigger asthma symptoms.

Protect your health and your home by following these tips.

Choose an Electric Car

Vehicle pollution is linked to increased rates of asthma among children and adults. Protect the people around you by choosing to drive an electric car.

Learn about government incentives that can help you purchase an affordable plug-in electric vehicle here.

Join Alvie & Olie in Style

We are excited to announce that we have launched the Breathe SoCal online store!

Each purchase you make goes directly toward supporting Breathe SoCal’s work to provide vital educational and patient support programs, research, and advocacy for communities whose lives are impacted by poor air quality and lung diseases.

Shop Now!