coughing

Posted: 11/27/2013 by Barbara Hannah Grufferman | Comments

My mother, now 77, has suffered with asthma since birth. She tells stories about how her working class parents struggled with the idea of moving the entire family from Brooklyn, N.Y. to Arizona, which was a premiere destination in the 1940s for those with asthma, tuberculosis, chronic bronchitis, and other lung issues. Hot mustard plaster and frequent trips to the emergency room were all part of my mother’s early life. The fourth of five children my adoring (and adorable) grandparents …