Grand Slam Tennis Champion and Sports Commentator Mary Joe Fernandez Shares Her Personal and Parenting Asthma Experiences While Answering Viewer Questions in LIVE Video Web Chat

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Aug 16, 2010, 11:40 ET

NEW YORK, Aug. 16 /PRNewswire/ --

WHAT: Mary Joe Fernandez, Grand Slam tennis champion, Olympic Gold medalist and current tennis broadcast commentator for ESPN and CBS Sports, has lived with asthma all her life. She learned to manage it and keep it under control after receiving a proper diagnosis. Now as a mother of a child with asthma, Mary Joe is encouraging parents to advocate for their child's health and serve as their champion against asthma.

During this unique event, chat participants will be able to submit questions for Mary Joe to answer via LIVE video. Topics will include insights about Mary Joe's personal experience with asthma and the resources offered on www.EveryoneBreathe.com.

WHY: Asthma is a chronic disease that inflames and narrows airways, making it hard to breathe. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 16 million adults and 7 million children in the U.S. have asthma.

A recent survey of parents of children with asthma, fielded by Kelton Research, found that the number one piece of advice parents would give to other parents is to learn all they can about the disease, but many do not. That's an important reason Mary Joe teamed up with Everyone Breathe.

WHEN: The LIVE video web chat with Mary Joe Fernandez will take place on Monday, September 13, 2010 from 1:00 – 2:00PM EDT/10:00 – 11:00AM PDT.

Register now at www.EveryoneBreathe.com to secure your seat and submit your question – this event is sure to fill up quickly!

**EVENT IS OPEN TO ALL U.S. AUDIENCES**

About Mary Joe Fernandez:

Mary Joe Fernandez is a current tennis commentator for ESPN and CBS. She has served as captain of the United States Fed Cup Team since 2009. Mary Joe has achieved numerous tennis accolades including seven Women's Tennis Association (WTA) Tour Singles titles, 19 WTA Tour Doubles titles (including two Olympic titles) and two Doubles Grand Slam titles. Mary Joe has been a finalist in three Grand Slams, was a member of the winning 1996 USA Fed Cup team and a member of the US Olympic Team in both 1992 and 1996. She became the youngest player to win a U.S. Open match when she defeated Sara Gomer in 1985. Diagnosed with asthma at age 20, and as the mother to a young son with asthma, Mary Joe is currently serving as a paid spokesperson for an educational campaign for parents of children with asthma at www.EveryoneBreathe.com.

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