This art collection is dedicated to my dear sister Margarita “Margie” Martinez, who suffered from chronic asthma all her life, she passed out arriving at an emergency room in 1999 and they were not able to revive her, her lungs had closed.

Anything would trigger her asthma ranging from a wide variety of food allergies, dust and heat. My earliest memories where the constant trips to the hospital for all her health issues including skin allergies.  Her hands were raw, I remember my mother always had socks on her hands to prevent her from scratching. Thank god she outgrow the skin allergies to a certain degree, she still had visible scars as an adult.  Doctors had mentioned that she might outgrow asthma with puberty, we had high hopes and even moved to Puerto Rico per doctors recommendation for a warmer climate. This proved to be wrong, the heat would make her worse and she didn’t have access to quality medical attention when she needed it the most. I remember carrying her frail thin body to the car once in the middle of a hurricane to emergency, her fingers were purple, she couldn’t breath. Imagine what it feels like not to breath? When I have a cold it brings back memories of her wheezing, carrying an inhaler everywhere and sleeping with it stuffed in her pillowcase so she can find it easily. She spent so much time at the emergency room and in intensive care that they knew her on a first name basis.

My sister was beautiful inside and out, she was strong, smart and talented with a bright lovely smile. She loved to dance and she could sew an outfit with no pattern in one afternoon to wear that evening.  She learned how to cut hair by observing my other sisters. She has wonderful children, now adults and the funniest grandson. To write this has been difficult, yet it’s my way of healing for losing my sister and best friend.

Let’s help people like Margie live healthier, stronger and enjoy things that we take for granted such as breathing…

Fund raiser

I’m raising fund for the Golisano’s Children’s Hospital to further benefit the Pediatric Asthma Support. These ongoing activities are “Live Painting Demonstrations” and from the proceeds of the sale of “Tenderness’, as featured in the May issue of American Art Collector (woohoo!). My next LIVE PAINTING DEMONSTRATION will be on Saturday, August  11, 2012 from 10am-12pm at Southwoods RV Resort, 6749 Townline Rd (Rt.262), Byron, NY.

If you’re interested in hosting a “Live Painting Demonstration” to promote Asthma Awareness at your place of business, feel free to contact me at peggy@peggymartinez.net or via this post, thanks for your wonderful support!

Here are few links related to asthma, if you have a link to share I would gladly add to the list:

Mothers of asthmatic: http://www.aanma.org/

University of Rochester: http://www.urmc.rochester.edu/childrens-hospital/pulmonology/asthma-care.cfm

Life links for parents of children with food allergies: http://www.aanma.org/2011/08/life-links-for-parents-of-children-with-food-allergies/

Asthma and allergy foundation of America: http://www.aafa.org/

A Air, Rochester area consultation for adults and children with asthma and more: http://www.aair.info/about/

Health tips plus, enter “asthma” in the search: http://results.healthtipsplus.com/?search=yes&ss=asthma

Everyday Health

Mary Parkes Center

http://www.urmc.rochester.edu/mary-parkes/index.cfm

Giving to the Golisano’s Children’s Hospital!

http://www.urmc.rochester.edu/childrens-hospital/giving/?redir=www.givetokids.urmc.edu/

Crispy disc.com

http://www.crispydisc.com/article/10244/10-Secrets-For-Surviving-Asthma.html

Asthma and allergy

http://www.allergyandasthma.com/home/articles/history-of-asthma