Dr. Gracelyn Santos | gsantos@siadvance.com. Dozens of former teachers and. Since . "It's certainly concerning because the rate of primary brain tumors is certainly higher than what we would expect in the general population," said Dr. Arif Kamal, Chief Patient Officer at the American Cancer Society. "Colonia is not a mega high school. katherine noelle wyman; cape breton post obituaries 2022. location symbol text in word; list of female jockeys australia; mike conley house columbus ohio address In a Facebook post, Lupiano said the battle over whats affecting hundreds of CHS alumni, teachers and staff is not over with the help of renowned doctors and scientists., He called the data presented at the press conference flawed.. Al Lupiano revealed he had a brain tumor 20 years ago, before his wife had one and so did his sister - who died in February aged just 44. There's a vast array of treatments, but again, we're dealing with so many different types of primary brain tumors here that they're all treated very differently. Since March . Matthew Stanmyre may be reached at mstanmyre@njadvancemedia.com. Again too early to tell yet, I think, to draw any definitive conclusions.". They are leaving radon canisters at the school for 14 days, which will test for elevated levels of radon. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023). She also cautioned that additional toxins could be present at the school because she described her initial testing as very limited, meaning it did not include taking air samples or probing deep into the soil or groundwater. The testing actually started April 9, and testers have been seen walking around Colonia High School, taking air samples to test for radiation, said Woodbridge town spokesman John Hagerty. It's not contaminated water. He made a public plea on Facebook to anyone from the school who was diagnosed with primary brain tumors. Jason Wisinski, who lost his wife and sister-in-law, both Colonia High alumnae, to primary malignant brain tumors at the age of 38, became one of many convinced that a cluster a. In April, the township entered an emergency agreement with T&M Associates, of Middletown, for professional environmental engineering services for a radiological assessment of Colonia High in an amount not to exceed $221,350. Al Lupiano, an environmental scientist,. A comprehensive investigation of soil, indoor air, and groundwater shall be conducted to determine if children and staff are exposed to unhealthy levels of toxins other than already identified PCBs and pesticides., In his letter to the parents in the school district, Massimino wrote: Nothing in the newly reported information has any bearing on the prior studies which determined last spring that no radiation was found inside or outside of Colonia High School. My MIL died of lung cancer. Through his posts, Lupiano, CHS Class of 1989, wanted to find out if CHS is the cause of primary brain tumors that have affected more than 100 former students and staff. The mother of two Colonia High students who believed not enough environmental testing was done in the aftermath of reports of a possible brain tumor cluster connected to the school told NJ Advance Media she has found evidence of highly toxic chemicals at Colonia through her own independent testing. Unfortunately, that didnt happen.. Environmental engineering firm T+M Associates has been contracted by the township to test for radiation on the grounds of the high school, which was built in 1967. . "And if we do find something, we're going to deal with the consequences.". As per this resolution approved at their April 5 meeting, the Woodbridge town Council hired T & M Associates and Cabrera Services, Inc. to do the radon testing (officially called "environmental engineering services for radiological assessment") at the high school. "My wife was awesome, and I think about her every day - I talk to her all the time," Wisinski said. His sister Angela Decillis graduated in 1995. I had stage 4 cancer. Woodbridge Township has contracted environmental engineering firm T&M Associates to carry out radiation tests at Colonia High School to investigate a possible link between the school and the reported brain tumors, according to New York news outlet WABC. Lupiano's sister passed away in February, 2022 at the young age of 44. A total of 104 former students and faculty with brain tumors responded to a Facebook post. The sample came back indicating PCBs at concentration of 4.3 ug/wipe (or 100 cm2), indicating that PCBs may be present in indoor air, according to a report compiled by Komorek and obtained by NJ Advance Media. His wife graduated in 1991. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. Ninety-four former staff members and students from Colonia High School in Woodbridge, New Jersey, have developed an "extremely" rare form of malignant brain tumor, leading local officials to approve an emergency probe of the school Tuesday. Gothamist is a website about New York City news, arts, events and food, brought to you by New York Public Radio. Stanmyre: Right now, the number this week is up to 117 people who have been found to have a primary brain tumor of some sorts, according to data from Al Lupiano, who is the Colonia graduate who has kind of spearheaded all of this. There have been some outlier cases. NJ cluster of brain cancer prompts investigation, We rely on your support to make local news available to all, Astoria pool will be closed this summer for renovations: Parks, Gov. Two hours later, we received information that my wife also had a primary brain tumor, Lupiano said. Jason Wisinksi lost his wife Janice 10 years ago to an inoperable brain tumor called Anaplastic Astrocytoma. At the time, medium lifespan for her type of tumor was 18 months. In an acknowledgement of the significance of Komoreks findings, the district sent out a statement to parents and guardians Monday evening. Youre 98.6, youre fine, go home. A scientist and mother is demanding answers after tests she conducted found cancer-causing toxins and materials were present at the school where more than 100 former students have since been. Federal Agency for Toxic Substance and Disease Registry. Newsweek has reached out to Colonia High School and McCormac. They learned of their tumors eight days apart. And there are many different forms of these cancers. McCormac, along with schools Superintendent Joseph Massimino; Shawn LaTourette, commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection; and Judith Persichilli, commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Health, announced the results of the radiation testing during a press conference at CHS on May 26. When he started digging and looking for a link, the common link was Colonia High School. It will take about two weeks. Google Maps. She made it five years," said Jason Wisinski. My best friend had a cancerous brain tumor. By Sean Adams, WCBS Newsradio 880. After discovering 94 former students and staff from Colonia High School which was built in 1967 had been diagnosed with rare brain tumors, Dr. Joseph Massimino, superintendent of . "I had told my sister from the very beginning that there was too much of a coincidence that me, my wife and her all have the same tumor," he said. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. SOURCES:PEOPLE Magazine, CBS News New York, New York Post, NJ.com &Dr. Joe Whittington. NEW JERSEY - A New Jersey man has uncovered a medical mystery apparently linking more than 100 people . The mother, Edyta Komorek, who has worked as an environmental scientist since 2006, said she collected dust, window caulk and soil samples from Colonia that tested for excessive levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), chlordane, heptachlor and heptachlor epoxide all carcinogenic compounds that can lead to cancer and other diseases. ', Download the abc7NY app for breaking news alerts. Immediate action from our State and Federal agencies is warranted, Lupiano said. Ninety-four former staff members and students from Colonia High School in Woodbridge, New Jersey, have developed an extremely rare form of malignant brain tumor, leading local officials to approve an emergency probe of the school Tuesday. A high school in Woodbridge Township, New Jersey, is being investigated by environmental experts after reports of more than 100 former students and staff being diagnosed with brain tumors. All Rights Reserved. He says that the evidence that Lupiano has collected is a cause for concern, which is why the city will pay for emergency testing at the school this weekend. Lupiano became focused as to why all three of them had contracted these rare brain tumors. They said it was about a one in a billion odds. Its not air. A cluster of over 100 rare brain tumors in the past 30 years sparks a health inspection at Colonia High School in New Jersey. The city of Woodbridge, NJ is conducting an investigation after more than 100 former students and staff at the local Colonia High School were found to have developed brain . His sister succumbed to brain cancer. After some digging, a man who attended Colonia High School in Woodbridge, New Jersey, discovered more than 100 former students and staff members had been diagnosed with the same sort of brain tumor diagnosed in his wife, his sister and himself. Angela has four daughters who have or will go to Colonia High School. Earlier this year, Al Lupiano, an environmental scientist and Colonia High School graduate, discovered more than 115 people who spent time at the school had a rare brain tumor. CNN's Ana Cabrera speaks to Al Lupiano, a former student. Asking them to be patient for several more weeks is unacceptable. Medical experts are urging caution but also advising that there is no need for residents to panic. Hochul deflects when asked about 'good cause' eviction bill, Judge: Former coach's discrimination lawsuit against New York Giants and NFL can proceed, Supreme Court justices pour water on NYs push to save mob-busting seaport watchdog, NJ Legislature OKs bill to make landlords, sellers warn residents about past floods. As the Senior Producer for Morning Edition on WNYC, Alec works hard to get listeners all the latest news and delightful stories from New York City, northern New Jersey and beyond. Lupianoknew that something was very wrong here. The sample was collected using a laboratory-prepared hexane wipe and placed in a pre-cleaned, laboratory-provided jar, with a screw-on lid. This is definitely not normal.. They all attended or worked at Colonia High School most of them during the years of 1972 to 2000. Officials are looking for potential radiation at the school. Earlier this spring . Colonia High School was reportedly the common denominator among those suffering from the tumors Credit: CBS NEW YORK Al Lupiano, speaking to CBS2, said the rare brain tumors were discovered in people who attended Colonia High School. Dr. Marc Siegel discusses brain tumors that emerged among former Colonia High School students on 'Tucker Carlson Tonight.' Local and federal environmental agencies say they are assisting. The school is expected to remain open during this time. Friday, April 22, 2022. "They are working with the Township to review the test findings and prepare a course of action if necessary.". Lupiano, an environmental scientist, began researching the matter and reaching out to people on Facebook who had attended the school and been diagnosed with primary brain tumors. Over 1,300 cases have been reported of people getting sick after eating the Lucky Charms cereal. It has been lightly edited for clarity. Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2023. "In conclusion, the results of the radiological investigation at the high school and grounds are within the normal variation of background radiation levels in New Jersey and are therefore not indicative of concern over radiological exposure to individuals at the site," state DEP Commisioner Shawn LaTourette wrote in a letter to the township. Most of them during the years of 1972 to 2000, said Matthew Stanmyre with NJ Advance Media, who broke the news. "I am beyond pleased to announce that after an extensive field investigation that included assessing the classrooms, school building materials, and the entire 28 acres of the Colonia High School campus, no radiological hazards were identified that warrant further investigation," he wrote in a letter to families. T&M Associates subcontracted Cabrera Services Inc., a radiological environmental and remediation company, of East Hartford, Connecticut. The township announced results of an investigation. The community is absolutely unnerved and absolutely terrified by what's going on here. But even more rare was the fact that his wife and sister later found out that they had similar medical conditions. Join half a million readers enjoying Newsweek's free newsletters. An investigation has been launched after more than 100 people who attended a high. Such odds help to explain the public surprise after NJ Advance Media reported in early April that New Jerseyans living in the neighboring communities of Woodbridge and Colonia have developed various forms of brain tumors. I know so many people who have ailments and cancer specifically who lived near there. Environmental engineers have been testing for radiation at Colonia High School in New Jersey after reports that over 100 former students and staff members were diagnosed with brain tumors. Janice's sister Chery Black also died from brain cancer in 2015. All of the cases have ties to Colonia High School, either as students or employees. In May, the district and state announced an environmental assessment of all 28 acres in and around Colonia found no traces of radiological contaminants and the school was deemed safe for students and staff. Are you a Colonia High School graduate that has been diagnosed with a brain tumor? He said, What are the odds of this? It's exceeding one in a billion that three people this closely tied together would all have brain tumors. Photo credit Google Street View. Last year, his sister, also an alumna of Colonia High, was diagnosed with a primary brain tumor, a stage 4 glioblastoma, he told CBS New York. His wife was diagnosed with an acoustic neuroma, which is a benign brain tumor and is the exact same brain tumor that Al Lupiano himself was diagnosed with 22 years ago. A soil sample taken from near the northern wall of the school similarly indicated PCBs concentration of 575 mg/kg, exceeding the New Jersey Soil Remediation Standard. Federal agencies are also assisting in the investigation. The testers are specifically testing for radon levels in the air after 1989 Colonia High School grad Al Lupiano proposed this theory that he found an unusually high number of brain. When a former student at Colonia High School in Woodbridge, New Jersey, realized that he, his wife and his sister all had brain tumors, he wondered if something about their high. "I started doing some research and the three became five, the five became seven, the seven became 15," Lupiano said. Two hours later, we received information that my wife also had a primary brain tumor, said Lupiano. He is presently working with local officials to address the situation. The school campus is just under 12 miles from the Middlesex Sampling Plant, which was used to crush, cry, store, package and ship uranium ore during the development of the atomic bomb under direction from the Manhattan Project, the outlet continued. 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