Courtesy photo Anthony Castro of Ventura was diagnosed with asthma at 18 months. His family supports the "Blow the Whistle on Asthma" Walk.

The American Lung Association of California's "Blow the Whistle on Asthma" Walk will get under way at 9 a.m. April 28 at Ventura Harbor Village. The goal is to raise $50,000.

Money from the event will be used to help individuals like6-year-old Anthony Castro of Ventura, who was diagnosed with asthma when he was 18 months old.

His mother, Elysa Castro, remembers that day vividly. "Anthony seemed to be congested from a cold so I sat up all night with him and even propped him up in my lap so he could sleep better. But in the morning he was worse so I rushed him to the doctor's office at 8 a.m."

The nurses tested Anthony's oxygen level and were shocked at the low reading. "They thought the machine was broken," Castro recalls, "and went to get another one, but it, too, gave a reading of 73. I found out then that a normal reading should be 100." The nurses summoned the doctor, who immediately put Anthony on oxygen.

During the four hours at the doctor's office, the toddler received three breathing treatments, but his condition did not improve. The doctor finally determined that he was suffering from a severe asthma attack, and Anthony was transported by ambulance to Community Memorial Hospital for further treatment.

Today, Anthony is 6 and learning to manage his asthma.

The support her son received is the reason Castro and her family are strong supporters of the American Lung Association and its annual asthma walk. "This battle with Anthony's asthma has motivated me to participate in this year's Asthma Walk, not only for my son, but for anyone who has gone through the struggle of fighting to breathe," she said.

The American Lung Association reports that more than 20 million Americans suffer from asthma, and nearly 11 million have experienced an attack in the past year. Approximately 4,000 people die annually from the disease. In Ventura County, about 30,000 adults and 14,000 children have asthma.

Money raised at the walk supports the American Lung Association's research and education efforts to help people control their asthma and find the cause and a cure for the debilitating respiratory ailment.

The 2007 walk is sponsored nationally by GlaxoSmithKline and Toyota Hybrid Synergy Drive. Local sponsors include the Ventura County Star, Community Memorial Hospital, Wells Fargo Bank, Affinity Bank, Farmers Insurance, Santa Barbara Bank and Trust, Kaiser Permanente and LifeCare Solutions.

For more information on the walk and how to participate, visit http://www.asthmawalk.org or call Glenda Jackson, walk manager, at 963-1426.