A SCHOOLGIRL who was diagnosed with asthma after being rushed to hospital has held a bake sale to support a charity that helps those with the condition.

Phoebe Coombes asked for permission to hold her bake sale at Hay-on-Wye County Primary School after lessons on Friday, May 11 and raised £175 for the charity Asthma UK.

The eight-year-old is able to control her asthma through medication but in September 2016 doctors had to give her oxygen when she was admitted to Hereford County Hospital.

Dad Philip Coombes said: “Phoebe had quite a bad asthma attack and when my wife Laura took her to the doctors in Talgarth they told her to take her straight away to Hereford hospital because her oxygen levels were so low, she went to A&E and was put on a nebuliser, which was a mask over her face with oxygen and medication to breath in. She had to stay in hospital overnight until her oxygen was at a sufficient level so she could come home.”

At the hospital Phoebe was diagnosed with asthma, a long-term condition that affects how air is carried in and out of a person’s lungs, which came as a shock to Philip and mum Laura. We’d noticed Phoebe wasn’t able do exercise without her breathing becoming very laborious and she wasn’t able to run around with her sisters and friends in the playground,” said Philip.

“She had been sort of unwell, on and off for a couple of weeks, and she’d not have the energy after playing and would be out of breath and have to sit down on the sofa and that’s when Laura took her to the doctors and was told to go straight to the hospital. We were very worried and as a parent to see your daughter, your child, go through that was very frightening.”

Philip praised the care Phoebe received at the hospital and since and said the youngster wanted to show her appreciation as well.

“Phoebe wanted to do something for Asthma UK to give something back and also wanted to raise awareness so set it through the headteacher who gave her permission to hold the bake sale which went really well and was really busy.”

Phoebe thanked headteacher Alexine Bartholomew for allowing her to hold the sale at the school.