Re: Perspective: Alternative Spring Break Leaves Long Lasting Memories, Sickness

[Guest guest]

I know all of the groups are very well intended and the world needs

more like them, but there needs to be some sort of protective

protocal before allowing these people to become victims of the

horrible affects of mold!

>

>

> FYI, the below information needs to get out to church groups, etc,

that are

> still sending high schoolers and college students to New Orleans

to do mold

> clean up.

> Sharon

>

> Perspective: Alternative Spring Break Leaves Long Lasting

Memories, Sickness

>

>

> 5/12/07

>

>

_http://media.www.thehilltoponline.com/media/storage/paper590/news/200

7/05/12/

>

Perspectives/Perspective.Alternative.Spring.Break.Leaves.Long.Lasting.

Memories

> .Sickness-2902551.shtml_

>

(http://media.www.thehilltoponline.com/media/storage/paper590/news/200

7/05/12/Perspectives

> /Perspective.Alternative.Spring.Break.Leaves.Long.Lasting.Memories.S

ickness-2902551.shtml)

>

>

> " I am a senior dental hygiene student who had an opportunity to be

selected

> to participate in the Alternative Spring Break 2007 in New Orleans.

>

> I had a wonderful time and served as an advisor for 300 students at

Camp

> Hope.

> The trip was filled with various emotions and the spirit of giving

back was

> the main reason that I wanted to attend.

>

> After spending seven days in New Orleans, I was able to see first

hand the

> devastation that the residents encountered.

>

> Unfortunately, while doing a good deed there, I returned to

and began

> to experience some of the respiratory problems that the residents

and

> visitors are now experiencing.

>

> I have been ill for over a month. I have been to the doctor

numerous times,

> at the hospital twice and was discharged after spending six days in

Providence

> Hospital.

>

> The diagnosis was an acute pulmonary reaction to the mold and

fungi.

>

> I now have to have regular breathing treatments, take steroids,

antibiotics,

> inhalers and decongestants. Prior to the trip, I had no health

problems and

> was not asthmatic.

>

> Since this illness, I had to miss three finals and my dental board

exams due

> to hospitalization, which have affected my grades and possible

graduation.

>

> I don't know how many, if any, other students have reported like

illness to

> . I was just informed that some of the first students and

some of the

> faculty in the dental school had similar problems.

>

> This has been a long road, and I am still not 100 percent. I didn't

think

> about contacting The Hilltop earlier because initially, I was too

sick and

> didn't want to bring unnecessary attention to myself.

>

> I am just curious as to if any other students have similar problems

and

> possibly alerting faculty of the potential dangers associated with

the trip.

>

> may want to consider some preventive measures if they plan

to

> facilitate this trip in the future.

> I may be what some consider unfortunate, but it could be a lot

worse.

>

> Needless to say, my family and many alumni are not pleased

with the

> way this has been handled and are all very disappointed for their

concern or

> lack of concern.

>

> -Tamekia "

>

>

> http://aem.asm.org/cgi/content/abstract/73/5/1630

>

>

> Characterization of Airborne Molds, Endotoxins, and Glucans in

Homes in New

> Orleans after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita Carol Y. Rao,1*

Margaret A.

> Riggs,1 Ginger L. Chew,2 L. Muilenberg,3 S.

Thorne,4 Van

> Sickle,1 H. Dunn,5 and Clive Brown5

>

>

>

>

>

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>