virtual nightmare, and each change of season brought a new set of problems.

Donna-Mae Grant's symptoms however, were minor compared to the suggested remedies, one of which saw a cockroach tied to a string and held down her throat. It's because of this and many similar examples, that the Asthma and Allergy Support Group of Bermuda was founded not only to educate, but to also offer any necessary support. "We do not give any medical advice,'' explained Jennifer Brimmer. "We are just a support group for people who have some contact with asthma sufferers and who need to network or to be educated.

"What's key is that we know a there are a lot of people who suffer from or know people with asthma, who are not in a financial position to pay to get advice about (it) and/or related diseases or do not have the insurance to cover the necessary consultation. With our support group, they can come and have material available to them at any given time. Our whole objective is to educate the public, free of charge, on an on-going basis.'' The group, explained Mrs. Brimmer, is affiliated with a parent organisation in the US and originated through the concerns of Bermuda's Asthma, Allergy and Relief Centre. "Over the past three years, the Asthma, Allergy and Relief Centre has done an awareness workshop. However we recognised, based on our on-going research and developments within the field, that once a year was not enough.

So we consequently held discussions with the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America which offers support through 165 groups spread across the United States.'' The Centre approached the Foundation, said Mrs. Brimmer, asking that the potential support group be responsible not only for Bermuda, but for the Caribbean region as well. "They liked the idea, and the Centre signed up for a support group to be established and brought material for the group to get started and to be affiliated with them.'' Although the group will not be dispensing any medical advice, one requirement that the Foundation insisted on before it could be accepted, was that a medical advisor able to provide answers to any questions which might arise, sit on board as a member. As such, the group recruited Dr. Stephen West. The next step, they explained, was having the group established locally as a charitable organisation. "So now we're the first international support group offered through the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America,'' said Mrs. Brimmer. "And the whole idea is to have a networking organisation for parents and guardians of asthma sufferers and also for those with the disease themselves, so that they may be educated and are privy to the latest information on a continual basis.'' As a means of forwarding that objective, she added, the American Foundation constantly sends educational material keeping the group updated with new material and techniques. "But the real purpose of the group is to lend support at any given time,'' she said. "We know a lot of parents go through many stressful situations with asthmatic children and now they have a place where they can go and discuss their concerns. No two situations are alike and it's ridiculous to think we might be able to compare situations, but we can help.'' For Mrs.

Grant, raised at a time in Bermuda when asthma was virtually unheard of as a disease, she was diagnosed as having everything but and as such, treatment ranged accordingly. "I first noticed when I started primary school,'' she said. "It started off with dry patches on my skin and I couldn't be outside anytime grass was being cut because my eyes would really itch or, if the seasons were changing, I would get very sick. Because of the eczema, I would scratch until I bled. "Through all this, my mother used to get really upset.

She just didn't know what to do with me as far as the eczema went. They didn't even know what eczema was at that time. And all the doctor said was that I had bronchitis or it was simply put down to the fact that I was sick as a child.

My aunt and my grandmother used to care for me most of the time and they did all sorts of nasty things to me, like putting cockroaches down my throat.'' It was when she moved on to high school, said Mrs. Grant, that she was first given a Ventolin inhaler. The doctors however, still described bronchitis as the cause of her problems, asthma was never mentioned. "They didn't have skin care products for allergies and eczema at the time and I really suffered with eczema. It was not until I was in my teenage years that they began to give me ointments and suggested that I use keri lotions and oils in the bath.'' It was said. But it was not until after her first child that she decided to make sure they never returned. "I asked a lot more questions, read a lot more and stayed away from things that really irritated me. What also helped was that I changed my diet. I found that certain foods build mucus and with that, asthma.

I also keep away from all dairy, and also beef as it comes from the same family. That means no cheese or milk and no ice cream. "I'm also not supposed to have peanuts even though I do eat what I want now and then, just not on a daily basis. I basically stick to a routine of grains, vegetables and vitamins with fish once or twice per week. And although a lot of people think asthmatics should not exercise -- for some it only irritates the condition -- that is also very important for me and in actual fact, helps me a lot.'' Added Mrs. Brimmer: "Eczema is a real challenge here in Bermuda. People don't know what causes the triggers -- whether it's the environment or the foods, soaps, lotions, laundry detergents or even just hot baths. So it's very important that people can be made aware of the information that is out there. It's very seldom that people here talk about asthma in a public setting and this way they can learn more for themselves and their children without having to go through panic that many others, such as Mrs. Grant's mother, went through.'' Grant I beat asthma