There was a time when Kiyoshi Martinez sat on the sidelines. During recess he'd watch as his classmates conquered the jungle gyms, slid into first base and made goals on the soccer field.

It was a time when the school nurse kept his inhaler on hand, ready to rescue him in case of an emergency.

He went to the doctor's office every day after school to get an allergy shot. All of this just to help him control his asthma. "Why is this happening to me?" he would ask himself.