How you can help?

For no more cruel winters, donations can be made by clicking on the red donations button on our homepage. Follow the links to our 'Cough Assist' appeal.

Our epetition addresses the issue by asking for these life-saving machines to be provided through the Medical Aids Subsidy Scheme and so much more. More information about the Cough Assist

A physiotherapist uses a Home Pulse Oximeter to identify clients who have pulmonary insufficiency (reduced ventilation), which can lead to pneumonia. Currently detection of pulmonary insufficiency requires hospitalisation at a major hospital where the at-risk children undergo sleep studies to identify the level of respiratory insufficiency over the sleep period and to assess the need for treatment. Sleep studies are expensive and difficult for children who live outside of the metropolitan area

Where clients are identified as needing respiratory assistance, a Cough Assist machine would enable portable home-based treatment before hospitalisation becomes necessary. Essentially this machine assists children with weak respiratory muscles to clear pools of infected mucus deep from within their lungs, thereby stopping the development of pneumonia. It is an alternative to and far more effective than traditional chest physiotherapy.

The Emerson cough assist (formerly called mechanical in-exsufflator) now owned and operated by Respironics in Pittsburgh,  is being used widely internationally and has been shown to be an extremely effective cough assist device. It also dramatically increases peak expiratory flows. This machine has been shown to be far more effective than other methods when used at the beginning of a cold or chest infection, to reduce the risk of serious infection such as pneumonia. For children with DMD this is very important as they are much more vulnerable to serious infection than the majority of the able-bodied population.

Evidence from the literature and PPA experience shows the benefits to include:

• Reduced hospitalisation and improved health - particularly important for chronic conditions such as DMD where frequent hospital admissions are required due to other aspects of their condition, for example, many need to have back-rodding surgery in their early teens 
• Reduced emotional and financial stress for the family in relation to child being in intensive care and/or hospital if pneumonia develops 
• Reduction in the disruption to education of the child as they would not become as ill and would require less time off school due to acute illness 
• Prolongs life by avoiding respiratory complications, which can lead to early death. The purchase of this equipment would have benefits to the wider community in terms of reducing costs associated with health care for these children, which are way beyond the cost of this equipment. When the children are sick, carers also need to take time off from work responsibilities.  Learn more about the Cough Assist