Chesterfield mum who lost her son to asthma attack is campaigning to make inhalers free in England

Donna Smitheman, 44, lost her son, Jordan Ashley Smitheman, 25, in December 2023 when he collapsed following an asthma attack. The mum-of-two and her husband, Steven, 48, who works in fabrication, performed CPR before paramedics took over - but they were unable to save his life.

Now Donna, a special educational needs teaching assistant, from Chesterfield, is campaigning for asthma treatment to be free in England.

She said "His heart rate kept coming back but the oxygen couldn't get into his lungs. His lungs were squashed together. It's been awful. The cost [of inhalers] wasn't a problem for us but for other people it could be. People shouldn't have to pay to breathe - that's not fair."

Jordan was diagnosed with asthma aged two after his parents realised he was coughing badly when he was running around. Donna said the condition didn't hold Jordan back but he would often end up in hospital during the winter due to attacks.

Donna added: "He ended up intensive care at 17. He was in a coma for five days. It was awful. Even then I didn't realise how serious asthma can be. We didn't see how bad it could actually get."

Jordan was with his girlfriend when the fatal asthma attack happened on December 29, 2023. The couple rang for an ambulance but after being told there was a four hour wait Donna and Steven decided to take him to the hospital themselves.

Donna said: "He was struggling to talk and breathe. We were moving for less than five minutes and he made these three awful noises and collapsed. We pulled over and started doing CPR.

"We rung for an ambulance again and they told me to get a defibrillator. I couldn't get in as I'd left my phone with my husband who was being talked through chest compressions.

"The paramedics had got to us when I got back. They took him to hospital and continued for an hour before they had to turn the machine off. We cried but we were numb."

Since losing her son, Donna has thrown herself into planning the funeral and now campaigning.

She said: "An inhaler advert came up on my Facebook and I clicked it and a few comments said this is free in Scotland and Wales. Jordan always used to say 'how come I have to pay if it's a life-threatening condition?'"

Donna says although Jordan was able to afford treatment - and kept an inhaler in every pocket - some families may struggle. She said: "I'm not doing this for Jordan. There is nothing we can do now. But if we can help one other family."

Donna said the family have always been "very close" - and Jordan was particularly close with his sister, Alisha, 20. She said: "They even got mistaken for being a couple. He was so protective, so thoughtful. He was one of a kind."

Sign Donna's petition here - https://www.change.org/p/make-asthma-treatment-free-in-england