Several people who suffer from asthma — including 12-year-old Joey Douglas from Las Vegas — detailed to lawmakers their personal struggles with the condition.
The teen told lawmakers that his asthma has gotten worse as he’s aged and causes him to miss school, sometimes for three days at a time. His mother has to miss work to stay with him and has to pay full price for the medication, both of which bring on serious financial strains.
“Sometimes mom pays her rent late, she goes months without paying for her car, or she has to borrow money from our family,” he said. “My mom is trying really hard and it makes me feel sad. I need this medicine to breathe. I need it to live.”