Lung Quest: Turning Asthma into an Adventure

Charlize Sitto and Elinor Jwaydah, founders of Lung Quest.

By CN Staff

For most kids, “asthma” is just a word they’ve heard from parents or teachers—something serious, maybe even scary, but distant. For Charlize Sitto and Elinor Jwaydah, it became personal. Elinor remembers being a child who didn’t even know she had asthma. “I didn’t realize my coughing and shortness of breath were symptoms,” she said. “It was confusing and kind of scary, and I wish someone had explained it to me in a way I could understand.” That experience became a driving force behind her work.

These two high school students didn’t wait to grow up to make a difference; they grabbed their curiosity, creativity, and love for medicine and turned it into a campaign that speaks directly to children and families. Through a board game, a website, and a mobile app, they’ve transformed a complex health topic into something tangible, interactive, and even fun. With Lung Quest and Breathe Boost, asthma is no longer just a fear—it’s a challenge kids can understand, navigate, and conquer.

“At first, I just felt frustrated as a kid because no one explained asthma to me,” Elinor said. “Now, I get to help other kids understand it before they feel that confusion.”

At the heart of their project is Lung Quest, a colorful, interactive board game that turns learning about asthma into an adventure. Players face challenges, dodge triggers, and practice healthy habits through mirroring real-life scenarios but with dice rolls, cards, and cheering friends.

Complementing the game is Breathe Boost, a digital platform with a website and mobile app offering tips, inhaler demos, trigger guides, and caregiver advice—all in a kid-friendly, interactive format. Reminders, quizzes, and playful features make managing asthma less intimidating and provides easy to find resources.

The campaign has already reached the broader Chaldean community. At the annual CAAHP walkathon, Sitto and Jwaydah set up a station where kids and parents could roll dice, try mini challenges, and explore Lung Quest and Breathe Boost. They focused on addressing the epidemic of asthma insecurity to the public eye and that was just the beginning. Elinor states, “We wanted families to see that learning about asthma doesn’t have to be scary or boring.”

Looking ahead, the girls are preparing to bring the campaign to St. William’s Catholic School. Plans include an interactive “Breathing Race” using straws and cotton balls to see how air moves through the lungs, followed by small groups playing Lung Quest. A donated copy of the game will remain at the school so lessons can continue long after the event.

Expanding their reach even further, Sitto and Jwaydah are partnering with local doctors’ offices to donate copies of Lung Quest to waiting rooms, giving families an interactive way to learn while they wait for appointments. “If kids are sitting in a waiting room, why not let them learn about their lungs in a fun way?” Charlize said. “It’s another way to bring asthma awareness to families where it really matters.”

To reach an even wider audience, the pair launched an Instagram campaign under the name Breathe Boost. The page features colorful posts, reels, and interactive stories covering asthma triggers, inhaler tips, and behind-the-scenes looks at their campaign. “Social media lets us meet kids and people who can influence and educate the kids remotely,” Elinor said. “We can make learning about asthma fun, anytime, anywhere.”

The girls’ work is grounded in real recognition. Both Sitto and Jwaydah placed at the international level of HOSA—Future Health Professionals, competing in respiratory therapy. “Competing at HOSA taught us so much about lung health and teamwork,” Charlize said. “It made us even more motivated to bring what we learned to our community.”

For Elinor, the personal connection continues to drive her. “I know what it’s like to be a kid who doesn’t understand their own asthma,” she said. “That’s why we created tools that are approachable, clear, and even fun—so no one has to feel confused or scared like I did.”

Their work highlights something bigger—youth leadership can shape the future of health awareness. Sitto and Jwaydah are proof that you don’t have to wait until adulthood to make a difference.

Looking forward, the duo plans to expand Lung Quest to schools, after-school programs, and community centers, and enhance their campaign's resources with even more interactive features. Their ultimate goal is simple: make learning about asthma feel less like a lecture and more like an adventure.

“With Lung Quest and Breathe Boost, we’re not just teaching kids about asthma,” Elinor said. “We’re giving families tools to take care of themselves and each other. And that’s just the beginning for us—we’re excited to see how far we can go.”