I write this in hope that it will help raise awareness about asthma and its severity and prevent another unnecessary asthma-related death.

Hello, my name is Lydia Rojas & the loss of our child, was & is the worst pain a parent can ever endure!!
2006 was supposed to have been the happiest time in our lives... We had just purchased our 1st home, & welcomed the newest member to the Rojas Family, Isabella Jo. Life was GOOD, although we were dealing w/ my Mother's illness (CANCER) & hoping for the best, It seemed as though her health was improving. But, then..? On 10/11/06, I recieved the one phone call that NO parent wants to EVER get!!

I was told NOTHING, just, "Get to the Hospital, your daughter's been rushed to the E.R." WHAT?!! Everything is going in slow motion @ this point...

A friend of mine, drove me to the hospital, & as we're pulling in to the parking lot, my cell rings, it's the Chaplain... He asks, "Mrs. Rojas. Where are you? Please hurry because it doesn't look good." I jumped out of the moving car & ran...

All the while, I'm saying, "Oh God, NO! Please, just let it be a broken arm or leg!!"

I can remember thinking to myself... Why are the school officals here? As I'm running thru the sliding doors. Right away, I'm lead into a private room & as soon as the door opens, the 1st thing I see is my husband, leaning against the wall w/ his face in his hands... CRYING!!

All he kept saying was, "She's GONE?!! My Stephanie is DEAD!!" (me) WHAT?!! NO, Oh God, NO!! "What, are you saying to me?!!'' NO..! (sigh) I had gotten there TOO DAMN LATE!!

My daughter, Stephanie suffered a FATAL ASTHMA ATTACK, while at school, she was only 15, and I never got to say goodbye.

I have struggled with this for the last three yers as to why We LOST our Steph to something that was Sooo PREVENTABLE, in Sooo many ways! &, by that I mean...

This tragic event happened during P.E. class, & the teacher was NOT present, she was in her office!! It wasn't until she heard all of the students screaming for help, that she FINALLY came out to see what was going on... By this time, 3 classmates were already pulling Stephanie out of the pool!! At first, everyone assumed that she had drowned, not so, Steph was a strong swimmer.

The autopsy revealed it was an, "Acute Asthma Episode, Chronic Bronchial Asthma." Afterwords, my Mother's health took a turn for the worse, and she lost her battle with cancer, five months after we lost our daughter.

It's been 3 & 1/2 years, & only now am I able to share my story w/ out CRUMBLIG.

There's just So much I have to say and need to do in raising awareness about ASTHMA & its deadly consequences. Not only about ASTHMA, but also about the importance of Organ & Tissue donation.

You see, on October 11th 2006, our daughter Stephanie became a donor the age of 15. Since then, my husband & I have also become registered donors. Now whenever I hear or read about the lives that have been saved and given a 2nd chance life. It gives me comfort in knowing that we made the right decision to have become a donor FAMILY in the 1st place. I write this in honor & Loving Memory of our daughter & my HERO, Stephanie Yasmeen Rojas ((( ♥ ))) (12/16/90~ 10/11/06)