We have a SERIOUS PROBLEM here.

The Principal of Beaufort Elementary School, here in coastal NC, died of brain cancer about 7 years ago.
My daughter Emmalee was a student there at the time.

***The art teacher in that same school died of brain cancer a couple of years ago.

***A little 8 year old boy ...same school....died from brain cancer last year.

***Now,three more kids, all under the age of 13, have been diognosed with brain cancer and are undergoing treatments.

This next part I am copying directly from The Carteret County News Times, our local paper:

"County and state health officials are currently gathering data and doing testing at the school. They say data and tests results done so far indicate no connection between the incidents and the school....
...Results of water quality tests are not back yet. Some lead was found in paint on an outdoor pipe, which was not considered a health hazard by state officials. However, J. Ipock, school finance and maintenence officer, said the school system plans to take care of the pipes once the state tells them what to do.
Dr. JT Garrett, Carteret County's health director, said environmental health specialists have reviewed chemicals used in the school, and have also taken soil samples.
So far there is no indication of danger to children.
One former Beaufort Elementary School parent is circulating a petition calling for the removal of students until the state can confirm that the school is safe.
But Dr. Garrett said such a move is not warrented.
"Such a move is really premature and would be very upsetting for parents," said Dr. Garrett. "We don't have any objective data to support such an action."

WHAT????
The only common denominator in each of these brain cancer cases is the school.
7 cases of brain cancer in one small school.

Can you IMAGINE what the little kids are going through right now?

They've seen their principal die...then their beloved art teacher and next,one of their buddies dead...
4 other kids fighting for their lives at this moment while the rest of the kids in the school wonder which one of them will get this thing called "brain cancer" next...

Our local officials are acting like this is no big deal. There's been no press coverage of this that amounts to anything.....gee, cases of the FLU are getting more attention than this!

I've sent messages to all the major press I could think of but there's been no response.

There is a SERIOUS PROBLEM here and we need help. It looks like the only way we're going to get the kids out of that building is through national attention to the situation.

Any ideas on this are appreciated....as well as, of course, prayers.
Thanks.

I would try and contact someone like Erin Brockovich, it seems like something up her alley and she just might know of someone in your area who could help.
Good Luck, I hope you get lots of support, your cause is a just one,.

How about getting all the parents to boycott the school ... maybe if none of the children showed up for classes, someone would start paying attention to the problem.

Meanwhile, blundervibes and prayers headed your way.

well kitty, I don't wanna be a naysayer, but other than your one observation of common linkage, there may NOT be enough data to indicate the actual why's and how's, and closing down a school over what appears to be circumstantial evidence of a possible health risk (and we're not talking about a contagious disease here, are we?) is quite a drastic and costly proposition. Cost shouldn't be a factor in health decisions, should it? But in fact, it almost always is.
Now... is it at all plausible that instead of a lurking health problem, the unfortunate teachers and children have all had immensely unfortunate BAD luck and timing? In terms of national statistics, are they within the norm? How about within the state? or within the county itself?
Just bouncing some reasonable alternative discussion around the room...
Whatever is happening, I hope it stops, either on its own, or if necessary, by intervention as necessary!
Good luck!

Kitty,
That's AWFUL. I'd keep doing what you're doing--just don't stop talking it up. Can we do anything from here? We have a similar situation with MS in a small town near hear. The disease rate is way way higher than the national norm, and they are just now starting to look into environmental things here. Could it be anything other than the school building? Are there any unusual industries nearby? Chemical plants, businesses that use chemicals in their processes? What about other residents of the area? Is there an unusual incidence of brain cancer anywhere other than at the school? Let me know if there is anything I can do from here? Prayers and Blundervibes to all the young students (and faculty).

They've been trying to figure out why we have so much breast cancer here for years and have just seemed to muck up the studies so probably no one will ever know. However, we have a large population and there are so many possible factors that it might be hard to tell for sure.

I think 7 cases in a small school sounds like an awful lot but someone who can make a scientific determination has to get interested first. I'd think that the parents are the people who can make enough of a stink to get more action or at least to find out more about whatever is being done. If they're not acting together in an organized group, then organizing them would probably be the first step.

....that's a tough story Kitty....made me think of what happened in Woburn, MA some years ago....lots of kids got leukemia, and some adults, too...and other kinds of cancer....it took a while for folks to notice.....
.....then it was discovered that the Grace Company had been dumping toxic waste in the neighborhoods for years.....they unearthed leaking cans of the stuff not so far from wells, sometimes....

...the story got famous enough to turn into a book and i think a movie, eventually.....the lawyer who finally took the risk to get involved was able to get alot of money for survivors.....but who wants to wait that long??.....
....if you haven't heard about it... i'll get some info for you over the weekend....
it's been used in this state to get possibly toxic buildings closed a lot quicker than used to be.....
..good luck.....

I've heard about the problem in Woburn, then of course there was the Love Canal thing, and another one I heard of recently in Anniston, AL. Kitty, just keep making a lot of noise, and good luck

Wow, sorry to hear about this. Hope they get it stopped soon. I rememebr in the 70's they had that town in NY state whgere everyone got ill or cancer or something & they ahdto close up & move the whole town...

I'll add my prayers and thoughts with those of our comrades here. I certainly hope these folks get a clue, but unfortunately it really IS about money to those with power enough to do something. Health care companies, administrators and school board leaders don't do anything that will run them over budget or eat up resources that may be needed elsewhere, unless they're forced to. I hope you get the backing you need! God bless the children suffering with this now, and may He comfort the families who have suffered so much loss.

Keep us posted!

Thanks for your thoughts, ideas and prayers.

This is such an unbelievable situation.

In a nearby town, there was an outbreak of some sort of flu in one of the school systems which was headline news for days.
But the Brain Cancer outbrake basically ignored ....
Unbelievable.

Miss Kitty,

Has anyone tried to contact "60 Minutes?"

again... please don't misunderstand my apparent skepticism, i'm very sympathetic to the people who have become ill... I just am trying to temper the call to quick, emotional action, with some observations, etc.

You stated the childrens ages as an 8 year old, and three kids under 13. Exactly how many years had they been in the school? The 8 year old couldn't have been there very long, could he/she? How about the Art Teacher? full time? in the school many years?
How long a school day? Do all the kids and teachers come from the same general Coastal area? The school could be part of the problem, but maybe there is a wider area of concern to be viewed. There would also be questions of heredity and family backgrounds to be considered. There may be no relationship, or possibly a combination of varying factors that all have uniquely come together at this focal point.
Cancer is a (generally) slow moving disease, compared with a virulent Flu outbreak. And people are less likely to discuss it openly at the onset, due to many lingering discriminatory feelings/practices regarding people with cancer. Thus the headlines about a Flu outbreak are quite understandable, while your situation may go unreported, until some "courageous investigative reporter" decides to go for the emmy, pulitzer, whatever...
Make noise, do contact the media, rattle sabers, all in a rush to find answers, not to make judgements.

Thanks Arnie.
We are definately looking for clues....in and out of the school. So far the common denominator still points to the school area .

Checking area statistics in refrence to Brain Cancer in general...see how many cases around here, where, when, ages, etc.

The school is also used after school for 3 or so hours a day for the Boys and Girls Club programs, helping kids study, etc.
So, a lot of kids spend quite a few hours a day there.

Gonna keep brainstorming.

Yes...I have contacted "60 Minutes".

I do appriciate your thoughts on this.
It helps to have outside input, that's for sure.

Are there any major power lines close to the school per chance?? There has been some concern about powerful magnetic fields around high power lines perhaps causing things like this. I'm not sure how clear or correct the science is on this, but it's worth a mention I think.