Join Us This Friday June 24th @ 6pm
at The River Valley Technical College
in Claremont, NH
For The 2011 RELAY FOR LIFE SURVIVOR'S LAP AND KICK-OFF
If All Is Well (and I hope it will be), I'll be there celebrating and selling works for Cancervivor Arts! Who doesn't want to show off they support cancervivors?
Part of the night is to use each person's individual station for education. It is also my hope to use this opportunity to discuss with other attendees the abnormally large population of blood cancer, severe bone marrow suppression, brain tumors, and very rare cancers that plague a 10 mile radius surrounding Claremont's Industrial Park, among which are companies known to pollute the environment with carcinogens. I am concerned (cancerned?), but I have been too sick to work to protect others from the suffering I've endured.
We all have been touched by cancer, but how many of us are neighbors being hit with cancers?
In 2005 thirty-six (36) Physicians from Claremont petitioned the legislature to study the suspected increased cancer incidence; however, Claremont alone was studied. No "cancer clucter" was found. I'd like a repeat study using a 10 mile radius surrounding the suspected "ground zero" instead of Claremont.
This will take a group dedicated to the cause. I believe it is worth the time.
Since the study was done, I was diagnosed in April 2006, but I wouldn't have been counted anyway. I reside over the border in Charlestown, NH, a mile from the facilities.
In 2007 I watched helplessly as a former colleague, Carol Snelling was diagnosed with leukemia and told she needed a bone marrow transplant.
She was only in her 50s. She was my neighbor. She also lived in Charlestown less than a mile from the Industrial Park.
The following year, again, I watched in horror as a younger acquaintance, Ashley Jordan, was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma at the age of 21.
Only 8000 people are diagnosed with Hodgkin's yearly in the US and 75% of these people are cured with ABVD therapy.
This means of the 16000 people diagnosed with Hodgkins' Lymphoma in the United States in 2006 and 2007, only 4000 had a refractory form of the disease that required a bone marrow transplant.
Two of those 4000 people were Ashley and me. Both of us lived within a mile of one of each other. Both of us lived a mile from the industrial park. Both of us Lived in Charlestown.
I wish I could say the area was "only" three for three in consecutive years when our neighbors were given blood cancer diagnosis requiring a bone marrow transplants, but I can't.
The fourth year in 2010 another neighbor living within a mile of me and a mile of the industrial park in Charlestown was struck down with the same adult form of leukemia as Carol Snelling, whom he also lived within a mile of. He was also told he needed a bone marrow transplant, however this time the victim was only six.
Andy Pomprasertte is lucky to have recently celebrated a year post transplant and is leukemia free, but not all of the four of us can say that. Not all of the four of us can speak at all.
Carol Snelling died of complications while undergoing her bone marrow transplant, and I am fortunate to be alive, but am still fighting my Hodgkins after two bone marrow transplants and five years.
These are not the only ones who have suffered from very early or very rare cancers.
My husband was diagnosed with colon cancer in 2008 at the age of 28. He lives within a mile of the industrial park. Another twenty something woman was diagnosed with a brain tumor shortly after graduating high school. She has lived within 1.5 miles of the Industrial Park most of her life.
Even more recently, another man in his 40s who did not live a life of heavy drinking or smoking, was diagnosed with Stage Four Pancreatic Cancer. He too lives within 1.5 miles of the possible "ground zero."
It is important that no one has to hear the words "You have cancer" but it's more important that we protect our neighbors, our friends, our loved ones, and ourselves from hearing it.
We have the unique opportunity to explore the possible cause of these diseases by banding together and creating a group with the common goal of discovering if there is a higher amount of cancer in this area, and if so, demand to know what is causing it so we can protect our neighbors, the men, women, and children of our community from suffering due to cancer.
If you are willing to help, please join us this Friday June 24th @ 6pm at The Relay For Life, River Valley Technical College, Claremont, NH to sign-up to join in helping, specifying what specifically you may assist with, and when you are available. If you can not attend this Friday but are still interested please email the above information to hill.stpierre@gmail.com
Also if anybody has information please bring that as well. Thank you.
And to End on a positive note, Come Even See the Very First
White Tiger's Relay for Life Team!
Our donation page is:
https://secure3.convio.net/tacs/site/Donation2?idb=417577960&df_id=1008595&FR_ID=31230&PROXY_ID=923745&1008595.donation=form1&PROXY_TYPE=22
Or if you'd like to give directly to a cancer patient in need of medical survival funds (AKA me), just use the donate button to the right or go to:
Or if you'd like to give directly to a cancer patient in need of medical survival funds (AKA me), just use the donate button to the right or go to:
1 comment:
You are probably already aware of this, but within the past 5 years the incidences of various forms of cancer in the Piper Hill Road and Bible Hill Road area of Claremont have been significant. I have to question if this is all related to the No. Charlestown incidences!
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