'Our Mission, To Get Inhalers In Every Single School In The State:' Brendon McLarty Foundation: Providing Inhalers In Public Schools

Twelve years after his death, Brendon McLarty is still making a lasting impact. Brendon’s mom and her best friend created the foundation, with the goal of providing inhalers to every public school in Oklahoma. 

The Brendon McLarty Memorial Foundation was established in July 2017. The foundation was created to memorialize Brendon, who suffered a fatal asthma attack, on the last day of his sophomore year in high school. 

The mission is spearheaded by Brendon’s mom, Lori McLarty, and her best friend and cousin, Jennifer Blair. 

If you see a pamphlet for the foundation, you’ll read Brendon’s favorite bible verse, Joshua 1:9. 

“Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid, for the lord your god is with you wherever you go,” recited McLarty and Blair. 

That's the verse that Brendon McLarty lived by. 

“He loved his family, his faith, and his friends and he loved his sports,” said McLarty. 

Like many sports fans, baseball was like Brendon's religion. 

“We found a letter he had written to himself that he would read, and it was to his future self, and it was about him playing baseball at OU,” said McLarty. 

But sadly, Brendon’s dream was cut short when he suffered a fatal asthma attack at the age of 16. 

Since then, Lori and Jennifer have worked to do what they can to save others from the same tragedy. 

“So since then, that has been our mission to get inhalers in every single school in the state of Oklahoma,” said Blair. “To be able to honor his memory every day by providing lifesaving medication, it's just very healing for us.” 

Thanks to legislation passed in 2019, Lori and Jennifer are inching closer to their goal each day. At this point, inhalers are available in 359 districts and were used 1,800 times in just the last school year. 

“We always joke that he's probably looking down on us and laughing and shaking his head thinking ‘what are they doing now’,” said Blair and McLarty. 

The two say they’re hoping to honor Brendon’s life and legacy while doing what they can to help Oklahoma children. 

“We'll never stop, till the day I die we won't stop,” said McLarty. 

Each school that is part of the program, gets one inhaler that has up to 200 doses of the medication. The schools also get at least 10 spacers, which allows the inhaler to be used by multiple students safely. 

There is also training provided through an online course. Each school participating must have at least two staff members undergo the training. 

For more information on the Brendon McLarty Foundation, CLICK HERE.