My brother’s asthmatic attacks kept getting more frequent despite adequate medical care. My parents thought they had done everything they could without limiting his freedom. I joked that maybe it was time to follow the example of the Everything, Everything plot and make the house allergy-proof. Interestingly, my mother got a lightbulb moment from my joke; our home needed a HEPA filter. They had done everything: changed to an electric heating system for fear that gas was polluting the house, ensured that the heating technician maintained the electric heat pump on time, and programmed the wireless thermostat to reset indoor temperatures to comfortable levels. That only helps cold air-related triggers. It seemed like something else was lacking in the heating equipment. Mom thought that adding a more effective filter in place of the disposable ones would make the filtration of allergens in the air more effective. The HVAC professional they had on call for HVAC maintenance issues agreed that the change could make asthma triggers less in the house. Luckily the HVAC business had several options for such a category of filters. Still, the HVAC serviceman needed to come to confirm the specific ones required by our heating device before they were installed. Once the heater filter installation was complete, my brother’s asthmatic attacks reduced, which meant our indoor air was polluted with dust triggers significantly as the seasons changed. It’s been six months since the HVAC supplier upgraded the filters in our electric heater, and we’ve had fewer hospital runs. Unlike our previous filters, we need an expert to come and replace them to avoid a situation where the trapped contaminants are freed to the air unfiltered.