"Grandma, you will be turning 100 next month? How are you feeling? Are you all good?" the family asked.

"Nothing will happen to me, my child. I am all fine. I take good care of myself even when I can't walk properly." Archie's 99-year-old fit grandma told her family.

The Ahuja Family was waiting to celebrate their grandma's 100th birthday next month, and they planned to throw a get-together. As they recently shifted to New Delhi six months ago, many of their friends and family were out of town.

The younger family member, Archie, was concerned about her grandma's health as she was not only turning 100 but also faced some issues adjusting to this new city's air, pollution, water, and traffic.

Six months ago, when Archie's father got transferred to the city, the family was happy to move out. Still, Archie, an environmental studies student, was concerned about the air pollution in the city. 

She also recalled her aunt's (Lata) case, whose lungs got affected by air pollution, and everyone in the family was worried.

Later, just after moving to this new city, everything seemed fine, but Archie's grandma had a persistent cough for four weeks. They consulted a doctor who couldn't rule out the exact cause. Soon, the grandma felt better with medications, and everything returned to normal.

"Mom, do you remember when we moved to this city, and grandma fell ill? The doctors 

couldn't rule out the exact cause behind her cough, and I blamed Delhi's polluted air for it." Archie started a conversation.

"Yes, dear. I do. However, we don't have exact proof if that was air pollution. The doctors did tests, and we can only believe what he said. The cough could also be due to her age." Archie's mother replied.

"Archie. Don't worry about her health, dear. She is fine. I agree air pollution in this city is very high. Still, to stay safe, we all take good measures, like using an air purifier, eating a healthy diet, staying hydrated, keeping our home ventilated, etc.," her mother added.

Archie's mother was partially correct. Indeed, we can't believe things we don't see, but Archie knew that air pollution is real and affects mainly kids and older adults. She was an environmental studies student and kept herself updated with Wingify Earth's latest news.

In a matter of a few weeks, the month changed, and it was two days to Grandma's 100th birthday. Everyone in the family was excited and planning a lot of things. 

Archie and her mother noticed Grandma coughing more than usual in the middle of all these preparations. They gave her water and some old prescribed meds, but nothing worked.

Along with the cough, Grandma experienced some worrisome symptoms like:

1. Shortness of breath
2. Fatigue
3. Chest pain
4. Neck pain, etc.

The family did not waste a single second and rushed to the hospital. Grandma was admitted to the ICU because of her old age and medical history.

"She seems so fit. She will be alright. We will do some tests to see the matter." the doctor told the family.

Doctors did some tests and investigations, along with referring to Grandma's medical history. Once the reports were out, they were surprised that Grandma's heart was not working properly. She also had high blood pressure issues for the last two months.

After examining the whole condition, doctors concluded that the new city's air pollution degraded Grandma's health, especially her heart, and lungs. She was perfectly fine back in Dehradun, and all these health issues arose when they moved here.

"She is fine at the moment but not in the best health. As you recently shifted here, grandma's health started deteriorating, which is why she is in the hospital today." the doctor said to the family.

"But we are all fine." Archie's father replied.

"Grandma is 100 years old, and her immunity is low at this age. It is why the environmental changes affected her the most." the doctor replied.

Grandma was hospitalised for four days, during which her birthday came. She was getting better, so the family celebrated in the hospital.

Grandma got discharged, and the family thanked the doctors. The doctors told the family to take care of their health by avoiding construction sites, heavy traffic, consuming a healthy diet, exercising regularly, and going for regular checkups.

The family came back and started living their everyday life. Archie got even more interested in air pollution and started educating her friends and family about the same.

Like Archie and her family, let’s not wait for something to happen until it’s too late. Let’s take air pollution seriously and take utmost care of our hearts.