From uncertainty to life-changing asthma care
Ten years ago, when Maria moved her family from San Juan Capistrano to Santa Ana, she never imagined how life-changing that decision would be.
Shortly following the move, her daughter, Aaliyah, began struggling to breathe — leaving Maria searching for answers.
“At first, I didn’t even know what an asthma attack was,” Maria recalls. “I just knew something wasn’t right.”
A visit to the Julia and George Argyros Emergency Department at CHOC, now Rady Children’s Health in Orange County, led to an asthma diagnosis and a referral to the Wellness on Wheels (WoW) program, which evolved from the original Breathmobile to provide comprehensive pediatric asthma care.
Maria admits she was unsure at first.
“I remember thinking, should I really be taking my daughter to a mobile clinic?” she said.
That hesitation didn’t last long.
Over time, Maria says she found not only answers, but a team she deeply trusted, especially pediatric nurse practitioner Linda Mendoza and the Wellness on Wheels staff.
Learning the signs
Through the Wellness on Wheels team, Maria began to understand asthma in a new way — what symptoms look like, how to respond early and how to prevent flare-ups.
“I didn’t know that when she was forcibly breathing with her tummy, that was a sign of an asthma flare-up,” Maria says. “I didn’t know the patterns to look for. They taught me what to watch and what to do.”
An unexpected emergency far from home
A few years later, during the family’s first trip to Aguascalientes, Mexico, Aaliyah arrived feeling perfectly healthy. As the vacation went on, she developed a persistent cough, difficulty breathing and even a rash. Though they knew she had asthma, they didn’t know what allergies or triggers might be driving her symptoms.
Concerned, Maria bought tickets to the earliest flight home. At the airport, Aaliyah’s coughing escalated. On the plane, despite Aaliyah using her Symbicort and albuterol inhalers, the cough wouldn’t stop. She began vomiting and struggling to breathe, which Maria said sent her into a panic.
A flight attendant approached and lowered the drop-down emergency oxygen mask, which helped stabilize Aaliyah for the rest of the flight.
When they landed, a Mexican ambulance was already waiting. Maria was asked if she wanted to take her daughter to a hospital in Tijuana, but she insisted on crossing the border for care in California. The ambulance transported them to the border, where an American ambulance was already waiting, an experience Maria describes as “feeling like a movie.”
A lifesaving landing in San Diego
At Rady Children’s Hospital San Diego, Aaliyah received immediate treatment, including nebulizer therapy, prednisone, IV fluids, medication for vomiting and diagnostic tests such as imaging and ultrasound. She was later discharged with instructions to follow up with a pediatrician or pulmonologist.
Follow-up visits in Orange County revealed Aaliyah wasn’t just allergic to one thing but to many — dust mites, tree nuts, grasses, trees, pet dander and more.
Thinking back on the experience, Maria says the care they received at Rady Children’s Hospital San Diego contributed to Aaliyah’s quality of life. “Finding out about the merger between CHOC and Rady Children’s gives me a feeling of satisfaction and excitement, because both places played a big role in the improvement of my daughter’s health.”
With guidance from the WoW team, Maria began making changes at home, from bedding adjustments to running a humidifier consistently. She learned how to navigate resources to help offset increased utility costs related to Aaliyah’s care.
“It wasn’t just about prescriptions,” Maria says. “It was education. It was support. It was someone answering every question I had.”. It was support. It was someone answering every question I had.”
Care that fits real life
The WoW team referred Aaliyah for advanced therapy, including Dupixent injections, a turning point in her care.
Aaliyah also participated in a medical trial using a mobile health app connected to her inhalers. The app sent reminders when medication doses were missed and alerted Maria if rescue medication was being used more frequently than usual.
“If she forgot a dose while I was at work, my phone would beep,” Maria says. “It helped us stay on track.”
On another occasion while traveling, increased inhaler use prompted a provider to check in directly, guiding Maria on next steps and helping her seek appropriate care locally.
“That follow-up meant everything,” she says. “We felt supported wherever we were.”
A birthday surprise
During a financially difficult time, the family arrived at a WoW appointment near Aaliyah’s 4th birthday. The team surprised her with a cake, a dress and goody bags.
“They made her feel so special,” Maria says. “They made us feel special.”
Back in the game
A few years ago, Aaliyah tried to play soccer but struggled to keep up physically. Today, her routine looks very different.
With consistent management, education and advanced therapy, including Dupixent injections, Aaliyah has spent the past year and a half playing soccer, volleyball, basketball and boxing.
Before practice, she organizes her medications on her own. No reminders needed.
“She doesn’t quit,” Maria says. “If she’s going to boxing or volleyball, she prepares. She has her own system. She takes ownership.”
Aaliyah smiles when asked about her hobbies: painting, art, soccer, volleyball and boxing.
Why does she love Rady Children’s?
“Because they’ve taught me how to control my asthma,” she says. “And what I need to do so it doesn’t get bad.”
More than medicine
Today, Aaliyah sings in her church choir. She runs onto the soccer field. She steps up into the boxing gym. She keeps up with her friends.
“She is a butterfly,” Maria says. “A wild, beautiful, free butterfly.”
Thanks to Rady Children’s, asthma became something Aaliyah learned to manage, not something that defines her.
These days, she’s focused less on breathing problems and more on what’s next.
