Ickey Woods' newfound fame helps him shine spotlight on asthma

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Fresno native Ickey Woods is thankful his Geico ad has opened new doors to help him raise asthma awareness.

The spot always makes us chuckle but it has also helped Woods spread a very serious message. In 2010, his son Jovante died of an asthma attack.

"Having a child who was diagnosed with asthma since he was 2 and as parents you think you know everything. When it took my son from me the one thing that I didn't know is that asthma could kill," said Woods.

Jovante's death spurred Woods to form a foundation in his honor. Woods' newfound fame has helped him shine a spotlight on asthma, which hits Valley residents extremely hard because of our unhealthy air.

"When it took my son from me it opened my eyes and I started doing some research. I come to find out that asthma is the fastest growing disease in America but it's the least amount of money if not spent on finding a cure, spent on finding a better way to treat it," said Woods.

Some of the proceeds from cold cuts T-shirts go to the Jovante Woods Foundation, which has already raised over $70,000 for Cincinnati-area children. The ad has helped immensely, and more spots are in the works.

"If nothing else got us back in the spotlight where we can talk on a national level about that disease," said Woods.

The man who gave us the Ickey Shuffle has started a Fresno division of his foundation to help Valley kids.