Parents of B.C. boy who died of asthma say reliable air quality monitors could have saved his life

Nearly four months after the sudden and tragic death of their nine-year-old son due to a severe asthma attack, Amber and James Vigh want their community to have more precise air quality monitoring in place before next year's wildfire season. 

The couple, from 100 Mile House, B.C., have partnered with the B.C. Lung Foundation on a new initiative that aims to provide 100 personal air quality monitors to the community.

Named after their late son, Carter Vigh, Carter's Project also includes awareness programs on air quality and training for community members who will be using the monitors.

"My son would have moved mountains regardless. Now we are helping him move mountains even though he is not here," said James Vigh. 

Carter died July 11 from an asthma attack, which according to his parents was aggravated by the lingering wildfire smoke in the region.

Known as the most destructive wildfire season on record, over 25,000 square kilometres of forest burned this year — sending toxic plumes over cities and towns across the province.

On Carter's final day, his parents checked the Air Quality Health Index in the morning before he headed to the water park and a birthday party. They recall the reading indicated a low risk.

"We couldn't smell the smoke either so we figured we could take the kids out," said James.

The reading, however, was based on air quality measurements taken nearly 100 kilometres away in Williams Lake, B.C. — the closest air quality monitoring site to 100 Mile House.

Later that evening, as Amber recalls, Carter started coughing. The parents reacted as they usually did — they gave Carter his puffer, told him to concentrate on his breathing and ran him a cool bath to soothe any panic.

As the cough became progressively worse, he was taken to hospital, where he died that night.

In an email to CBC, the B.C. Coroners Service said an investigation into the cause and manner of death is ongoing.

Carter's father believes if there had been reliable air quality monitors closer to home, his son would still be with him.

B.C. Lung Foundation CEO Chris Lam says the monitoring station at Williams Lake does not provide dependable measurements for 100 Mile House.