Outrageous Fortune star and asthma

Asthma and Respiratory Foundation
Media Statement
For immediate use

8 May, 2009

Asthma uncovered: Outrageous Fortune star and the struggle to breathe

Kiwi star actor Kirk Torrance has talked about his youngest son being hospitalised for asthma and his own time in hospital with the illness when he was a child.

Kirk, who plays DC Wayne Judd on Outrageous Fortune and has asthma in his whanau, has given his support to Asthma Awareness Week (4 to 10 May, 2009) and the Asthma Foundation’s Balloon Day campaign because he believes more research into better asthma treatments is essential.

Diagnosed with asthma when he was a very young boy living in Hawkes Bay, Kirk says he doesn’t remember much about his severe childhood bouts of asthma, which put him in hospital. But he says his parents were obviously ‘quite concerned’.

‘It must have been hard for my parents having a kid with asthma in the late 60’s and 70’s, because this was pre Ventolin and Flixotide inhalers, so they just had to wait for it to get bad enough for a doctor and an injection.’

His youngest son Manutai, 4, has spent time in Starship children’s hospital with bad asthma.

Kirk says one time in particular when Manutai’s asthma got serious very quickly the team at Starship was really decisive and efficient and were ‘so caring’ for his son at the same time. It was scary, ‘a little kid sucking for air.’

‘We know that we are very lucky that we were able to get the kind of excellent medical care that you get at Starship.’

Kirk says that more recently the use of preventer inhalers and healthy lifestyle choices has helped.

And, since he has been on a preventer, Manutai has had no more serious attacks.

‘As his parents we are also more experienced at recognising the signs and knowing what his triggers are.

‘He is improving and getting stronger as he gets older.’

Referring to his own childhood asthma, Kirk says, he took up swimming when he was about 8 years old, ‘which helped to deal with asthma attacks because swimming is all about breath control.’ (The Asthma and Respiratory Foundation says swimming can be a great form of exercise for many young people with asthma, however indoor chlorinated pools triggers some kids’ asthma)Kirk’s step daughter Greta-Mae, 15, also has asthma. Like for Kirk, her asthma improved with regular swim training. She uses a preventer inhaler judiciously these days and her asthma is better for it but: ‘we know if she is a bit run down, if it is cold outside, she is going to start to get wheezy.’

‘The good thing is that now she’s older she can recognise for herself when she’s getting it - early on - and she knows it’s a good time to look after herself better. That way it doesn’t have to limit her.

‘Being able to able to monitor and control your asthma…makes a big difference, I
have got better with using my inhaler’.

Tomorrow is Balloon Day, the Foundation’s annual events day, and activities are happening all around New Zealand. For more information: visit ww.asthmafoundation.org.nz.

Balloon Day is proudly supported by Mitre 10.

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