During my teenage years, when I was supposed to be carefree, running around with my peers, instead I was fighting for every breath I took and battling with that damn asthma.

My name is Aleksandra Maleš, I am 44 years old, married with three children, and I’m a professional economist. I’ve been suffering from allergic asthma for 15 years.

I am Stevica, I live in Kula and I’m 53. I’m married and have two children. After my military service, in 1988. I got employed in F. A. „Istra“ and after only half a year my first symptoms of asthma appeared, and I’ve been on constant therapy ever since (aminophylline, Lemod or dexason ampules).

I’m an asthmatic since early childhood. It started with bronchitis, I began taking corticosteroids as a baby. I don’t think of my childhood dearly. Hospital visits, severe choking, obesity and difficulty moving.

Very few people understand why we say we are ill, when there is apparently nothing wrong with us. I am Mirjana Mladenović, born in 1979 and I’m a big fighter.

My name is Svetlana Ivošević. I’m 58 years old, married and I have two grown-up daughters. I am a lawyer by profession and I practice law. I got asthma when I was 17. It started with a severe gasping for air at 3 a.m., it was in April.

My name is Dragan Perić, I was born in Bečej in 1967. I am married, with two sons and a daughter, I’m on a disability pension and I suffer from bronchial asthma.

Since my asthma diagnosis 11 years ago, my life has taken a 180 degree turn. All the activities I enjoyed doing, running, playing tennis, trekking, I couldn’t do them anymore because my poor health prevented me.

I’m Marijana Mig, 42 years of age, from Subotica. I have two children; they are 18 year-old twins. I was diagnosed with asthma a little over 17 years ago. It all began with a pollen allergy, and it became more severe with each passing year.