ADVISORY/EPA Commissioner Christine Todd Whitman to be Honored for Asthma Initiative.

Health/Medical Editors

ADVISORY...for Thursday (May 9)

NEW YORK--(BW HealthWire)--April 2, 2002

Children's A.I.R. Foundation Awarding Whitman with Gift of Breath

Award at its Annual Breath of Spring Benefit

The Children's A.I.R. Foundation is honoring EPA Commissioner and former New Jersey Governor Christine Todd Whitman with its Gift of Breath Award at its Annual "Breath of Spring" benefit, Thursday, May 9, 2002 at 6:30 p.m. at the Tribeca Rooftop, 2 Desbrosses Street, New York City.

Commissioner Whitman is being honored for her initiative acknowledging the environment as a possible first line of defense against asthma -- a disease that affects many urban children, especially in New York City.

Also being honored is Nathalie CK, the "spokeskid" for the American Lung Association's Open Airways for Schools campaign. Nathalie will be receiving the Asthma Achievement Award.

The evening's host will be Dr. Ian Smith, medical/health reporter for WNBC-TV, Channel 4, The Today Show and Today in New York.

For additional information regarding the May 9th benefit please contact Brenda Rezak at 212/986-3966.

The Children's AIR Center at New York-Presbyterian Weill Cornell Center provides diagnostic and treatment services to children with asthma, allergies, immunodeficiency disorders (including those as a result of AIDS), bronchopulmonary dysplasia and other chronic lung diseases.

The AIR Center also supports (manages) in-patient care for children hospitalized at Weill Cornell Medical Center and its affiliated services (the Hospital for Special Surgery). At the same time, the Center is performing important research and training future generalists and subspecialists in the diagnosis and treatment of these important health problems (physicians).

Children's AIR Center - You Could Help Us Solve Some Problems

The Children's AIR (Allergy, Immunology and Respiratory) Center was established in 1991.

The Center provides a breath of hope for children with severe allergies, immunodeficiency disorders -- including those secondary to malignancies and AIDS -- and chronic lung diseases -- like asthma and lung diseases caused by premature birth or birth defects.

These problems usually arise unexpectedly and are very often persistent and severe. They can affect any child. Your support today can make a difference for a child tomorrow.

WHY WE DO IT

Most of us take breathing for granted. Yet too many children are adversely affected by illnesses that impede their ability to breathe normally. There are 4.3 million asthmatics under 18 years of age in the United States. Premature infants develop bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), which requires long term, complex care. Babies suffering from a wide range of birth defects need access to high quality, coordinated allergy, immunology and pulmonary care in order to grow and thrive.

WHAT WE DO

The Children's AIR Center is a benchmark program located at New York-Presbyterian Hospital - Weill Cornell Medical Center with outreach programs in Manhattan and Long Island City. It provides outpatient and inpatient diagnostic and treatment services, conducts research and provides physician training.

HOW WE DO IT

Diagnosis & Treatment:

- We prevent thousands of asthma attacks, emergency room visits and hospital
admissions annually through our comprehensive asthma management programs.

- We support children with chronic lung problems secondary to progressive
scoliosis, muscular dystrophy, cerebral palsy and other muscular, skeletal and
neurological problems.

- We provide intravenous gamma globulin replacement therapy, monitoring,
nutritional support and aggressive treatment for infants and children with
primary immune deficiencies.

- We prevent hundreds of serious respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infections
each season through our treatment and prophylaxis programs.

- We evaluate and treat hundreds of children with life threatening allergies to
food, medicines or insect stings annually.

- We help ensure safe and healthy environments for children with a wide variety
of respiratory, allergic and immune problems by working with parents, teachers
and day care providers.

Inpatient Care:

The Center manages the respiratory care for children at New York-Presbyterian Hospital Weill Cornell Medical Center and the Hospital for Special Surgery.

Research:

We are working to improve prevention and treatment of allergies, asthma and many other primary immune and respiratory diseases of childhood.

Training:

We are training physicians who will be tomorrow's pediatric allergy, immunology and respiratory disease experts.

WHO DOES IT

The Center serves young patients and their families using a team approach. Physicians, nurses, respiratory and physical therapists, social workers and nutritionists work together to ensure state-of-the-art diagnosis and treatment.