Fifth Grade
Worksheets
Health Care Is Important
Marcy loved to run. Her dream was to be a part of the Olympic team. She imagined herself running in the relay, grabbing the baton from her teammate. She imagined herself breaking through the tape at the finish line, waving the baton high above her head.
Marcy knew that becoming a member of the Olympic team meant that she would have to work hard. She ran almost every day. But one day when she was running around the track, she had trouble breathing. She felt as if someone's hands were choking her, and she couldn't get any air into her lungs.
"Maybe I'm just tired or coming down with a cold or something," thought Marcy. She felt fine the next few days, so she didn't think anything more about what had happened at the track. A few weeks later when she was out running, once again she had trouble breathing. Marcy was worried, and when she told her mother about her problem, her mother was worried, too.
Marcy's mother took her to see their family doctor. Some tests showed that Marcy had asthma. The doctor explained that asthma is a disease that affects a person's airways. Asthma can't be cured, but it can be controlled. The doctor gave Marcy some pills that would help control her asthma. Once again she could run without having to worry.
