Woman Backed for Kicking out Teen Nephew over Prank with Husband's Inhaler

The internet has backed a woman for kicking out her teen nephew after he hid her husband's inhaler as a prank.

Published on Reddit's r/AmITheA**hole forum, a woman under the anonymous username u/AITA4577790 shared her story in order to receive opinions from the "AITA" community. The viral post has over 15,000 upvotes and 2,000 comments.

The original poster (OP) began her story by explaining that her older sister has cancer and she had asked OP if she and her husband could take in her 16-year-old son while she undergoes treatment. Her sister wanted him to have a "normal routine" and to focus on school.

OP said, "My husband has asthma. He needs his inhaler throughout the day. Thing is, my nephew is a prankster. He'd hide the inhaler as a prank then give it back as soon as there's panic in the house. So far he's done it 2 times and thought it was just him 'messing around.'"

"The other day, My husband called me while I was at work [panicking] saying his inhaler was lost. I asked if my nephew had taken it as a prank, [but] he doubted it since my nephew would give it back instantly after we panic. I got home and we looked for it for hours and had to go to [the] hospital eventually," she continued.

When they returned home from the hospital, they found his inhaler on the table and the laughter of her nephew upstairs. She snapped and told her nephew that he "was no longer welcome" in her home.

Once he began to pack, OP's parents called "to get to the bottom of what happened." They defended her nephew, reminding her that it was only a prank and she had taken it too far by kicking him out while his mother is having a hard time. They called her "unsupportive" of her sister and that her husband should keep his "things locked away."

Newsweek reached out to u/AITA4577790 for comment. We couldn't verify the details of this case.

What is asthma and what triggers an attack?

As defined on the American Lung Association's website, asthma is a chronic lung disease that makes it harder to move air in and out of your lungs. It is a serious disease that can even be life-threatening and there is no cure. Over 25 million Americans are living with asthma.

"One can develop asthma at any time in their lifetime," Dr. Jose Arias, volunteer medical spokesperson for the American Lung Association, told Newsweek. "It's most common to start in childhood, usually due to a family history of asthma or allergies, but an adult can develop asthma at any time. In females, we often see asthma develop around the time of menopause."

Arias explained that asthma causes inflammation of the bronchial, which are the passageways that connect your windpipe to your lungs. When inflamed, it causes shortness of breath and mucus production which is also the reason for wheezing or whistling sounds often heard in asthmatics, Arias added.

"When a patient has an asthma attack or exacerbation of their asthma it is usually due to various triggers causing an acute episode of cough, shortness of breath, or wheezing," Arias said. However, the triggers can be different for everyone.

Common triggers include cat and dog dander, dust mites, upper respiratory infections, cold air, air pollution, cigarette smoking, strong odors and perfume.

The importance of an inhaler

"An inhaler allows the asthma medicine to go directly to your lungs," Melanie Carver, chief mission officer of the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA), told Newsweek. "Having your inhaler readily available when you are having an asthma episode is very important. Asthma can rapidly worsen and lead to death. With prompt treatment, the airways can remain open to exchange oxygen and carbon dioxide."

Carver said that asthma treatments work by:

• Relaxing the muscles that tighten around the airways
• Reduces the swelling and mucus inside the airways

"Having your inhaler readily available when you are having an asthma episode is very important. Asthma can rapidly worsen and lead to death. With prompt treatment, the airways can remain open to exchange oxygen and carbon dioxide," she added.

Redditor reactions

"[Not the a**hole] Let me just make one thing clear OP- there is no situation, argument, or other circumstances where a damn 16 year old is not a massive a**hole for doing this. He's old enough to understand that your husband could die without the inhaler. You're well within your rights to set that boundary," u/Baileythenerd wrote, receiving the top comment with over 24,000 upvotes.

"Not the a**hole. Send his parents your ER bill," u/murphy2345678 urged OP.

"[Not the a**hole] - you're not obligated to have someone in your home who endangers your husband's life (and worse, laughs about it)," u/ThisIsGirlFriday said.

"Good for you for sticking up for [your husband] - you placed priority on the right relationship," u/phydeaux44 commented.