Elizondo, a MeritCare respiratory therapist, helps the children come up with alternatives. Elizondo challenges the children to anticipate other pet situations they might encounter. Dylan says he'd take his allergy medicine and make sure the dog doesn't sleep with him. Elizondo passes out markers and asks the kids to draw pictures of their personal asthma triggers. She again explains that a trigger is something which causes an asthma episode.
Laurel draws an ashtray.
Alex suggests running away or eating at Burger King because it isn't smoky. Dylan says his family asks to sit in the non-smoking section. Sometimes, Laurel says, she steps outside a restaurant for fresh air. Or, her family chooses smoke-free places. Nationwide, asthma accounts for 10 million lost school days per year, the American Lung Association says.