Asthma’s Deadly Risk: Remembering Ryan Gibbons
Ryan Gibbons
Asthma attacks can be very dangerous and even life-threatening.
Ryan Gibbons, a 12-year-old boy, tragically passed away from an asthma attack, reminding us how serious the condition can be.
Ryan was full of energy and loved motorbikes and hiking. But one mistake cost him his life.
In 2012, while at school, he had an asthma attack. He could have used his inhaler to stop it, but it had been taken away from him.
On October 9, Ryan went to school like any other day—but sadly, he never made it back home.
Ryan had an asthma attack while playing soccer at school but couldn’t get to his inhaler because it was locked in the school office.
He needed the inhaler to help him breathe, but the school had a rule that all inhalers had to be kept in the principal’s office. Every time Ryan brought an extra one, it was taken away.
His friends tried to carry him to the office, but they couldn’t get there fast enough.
Ryan lost consciousness and never woke up.
The tragedy happened at Elgin Country School in Ontario, Canada, and deeply affected the whole nation.
After looking into what happened, it became clear that Ryan’s school wouldn’t let him keep his inhaler, even though his mother and a doctor had asked them to.
His mom, Sandra Gibbons, said Ryan would bring an extra inhaler to school so he could use it if needed. But the school kept taking it away.
Asthma attacks can happen suddenly, and locking up the inhaler was dangerous.
The school often called Sandra to pick up the inhalers Ryan brought, and he wasn’t even allowed to bring them home.
“You would give him an inhaler, but then he would get caught with it, and it would be taken away,” Sandra said.
“Then I’d get a phone call. It was really frustrating. I didn’t understand why. I didn’t realize the school policy required all medication to be kept in the office.”
Thankfully, Ryan’s tragic death led to important changes.
After Ryan’s death, his mother promised to do everything she could to prevent other families from experiencing the same pain.
After his funeral, Sandra Gibbons started a petition asking the Ontario government to create a standard asthma plan for schools. She also pushed for a new law with the help of politician Jeff Yurek.
“When Ryan passed away, it felt like I lost everything,” Sandra told Allergic Living. “After burying my son, I knew his death could have been prevented. If people had proper training and knew what to do, he would still be here today.”
Her goal was to change the rules so kids with asthma could always carry their inhalers.
Her hard work paid off.
The government passed Ryan’s Law (Bill 135) with support from all political parties.
The law forces schools to allow children to have their inhalers in their pocket or backpack with a doctor’s note.
“I’m definitely overwhelmed, very emotional, very happy it’s going to be implemented,” said Sandra Gibbons.
The Asthma Society also applauded the bill’s passage, with president Dr. Rob Oliphant saying “it is essential that children with asthma have ready access to potentially life-saving asthma medications while at school.”
