Perspective: Alternative Spring Break Leaves Long Lasting Memories, Sickness

[Guest guest]

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

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" 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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