Normalising Cystic Fibrosis in schools

September is starting and, with it, a new school year. For many families with children with Cystic Fibrosis this is another added stress factor and, as we know that information is power, in this new information capsule we have Miky Mayans, a primary school teacher who has a lot of experience with the normalisation of Cystic Fibrosis in the classroom.
Common sense must prevail when a boy or girl with Cystic Fibrosis arrives to a school for the first time. For it, the teachers of the center, not only the one who is going to be that year with that boy or girl, must be informed about what is Cystic Fibrosis.
The first step is to solve the concerns and get rid of the fear of the unknown to be able to help him/her better.
Miky Mayans, after his passage as a physical educator for the Foundation, was key in the resolution of doubts of the rest of the teaching staff, also supported by the talk that the Respiralia Group gave before starting the course.
He emphasizes that they must be integrated from normality, treating them exactly the same as the rest, although their particularities must be taken into account. In addition, he values the great responsibility that children with Cystic Fibrosis have, because they already know the disease since they are born, so they simply have to be accompanied.
But, this normalization begins with the family, since it is very important that the family tells the center what the child has and offers the possibility that the Respiralia Group informs them before starting. Hiding the disease is counterproductive in any case because it will help to stigmatize the child instead of normalizing the situation.
According to current regulations, teachers are not authorized to give medication to students, but they can accompany and supervise them during the intake of the medication that they already bring from home.
For Miky, information about what and why is the most important thing. If the child with Cystic Fibrosis stays in the dining room of the center, the teachers can control that he/she takes the medication that the family has indicated.
Regarding the situation of the need to go more times to the bathroom or to cough or to bring up snot, normalization is again the key word. As it is not a whim but a necessity, the students see it as normal, as it can also happen to other students with other pathologies.
With the help of the talks given by the Respiralia Group in the educational centers, this normalization becomes easier, because it is a way for the students to understand perfectly the needs of Cystic Fibrosis.
We hope that this capsule will reassure families who are about to start this new stage and we encourage you to contact us to find out about the CF workshops we offer to teachers and students.
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