Family is coping despite the mold

November 22, 2007

But money too tight for Christmas toys

Thursday, November 22, 2007 By Faciane

Deshawn and her five children live in subsidized housing that has mold

problems, but she has no choice but to stay put.

The 29year-old single mother can hardly afford to pay the $248 monthly

rent where she is, much less move to another house where she would pay

much more.

So she stays at a place where her children are getting sick because of the

condition of the house.

Deshawn, whose children range from 10 months to 14 years old, works

part-time as a department store cashier. She wants to work more hours,

but that's all she can get. Besides rent and utilities, she pays $264 a

month for child care, leaving her almost penniless. If not for food

stamps, the family would go hungry.

Deshawn doesn't receive any help from the children's father, even

though she has tried to make him take responsibility for his children.

A few weeks ago the electricity was turned off because Deshawn forgot

to ask the utility company for more time to pay her bill.

" I

had to take the nursery bill money, plus the kids had a little money

and even my 3-year-old said, 'Mama, I have a dollar.' We put it

together and went to a hotel until the next day when I got paid, " she

said. " I forgot to ask for an extension. I have so many things going on

that I forgot. "

She has worked at the department store for nearly two years and still hasn't

been able to save any money.

" Sometimes I can't even buy Pampers; that's how hard it is, " she said.

Now that the weather is cooler, Deshawn has new worries. She can't

afford to buy coats and decent shoes for her daughters, 9 and 11, to

wear to school.

And she is worried about the upcoming

holidays. Even in their financial situation, the children still expect

Santa to bring them Christmas gifts.

The Times-Picayune Doll

and Toy Fund understands that some parents just can't afford to buy

Christmas toys this year. Children who 12 and younger will be able to

choose a toy to bring home during the fund's toy distribution Dec. 1 at

the Superdome.

Toy tickets will be handed out at the door on the day of the event.

The fund also contributes toys to the Covington, Kenner and Mandeville

police departments, the St. Toys and Gift Fund, the Marine

League in Kenner, Westwego Toys for Tots, Christmas on the Bayou in St.

Bernard Parish, Dick Riecke Doll and Toy Distribution in Folsom

sponsored by the Knights of Columbus Council 10176, and other

organizations, such as Catholic Charities, St. 's Special School

and Children's Hospital.

The fund is supported by donations

from the community and can be sent to: The Times-Picayune Doll and Toy

Fund, 3800 Ave., New Orleans, LA 70125. Donations can be made as

a memorial or in honor of a relative or friend.

. . . . . . .

Faciane can be reached at

November 23, 2007

Darlene: I have been in the field of toxic exposure and adverse health effects

for the past two decades. I have seen stories like this on over and over again.

I suggest that people with ill effects from toxic exposure get a good immune

workup. One thing that we do see for sure is that C-reactive protein and

various autoantibodies are elevated in such people. The immune system is

dysregulated towards Th1.

The other thing that we must realize is as follows:

1. 1989 The Institute of Medicine did a survey on medical schools and

environmental medicine. Approximately 50 % of the schools taught the subject

matter spending between 4 to 6 hours of the entire medical curriculum on the

subject matter. The other 50 % spent zero hours on the subject.

2. More recent reviews of the curriculum still show similar statistics. One

particular paper revealed shocking information. It was an interview of

approximately 120 deans of medical school curricula. The paper dealt with

environmental medicine. The deans responded that the subject matter had low

priority in their curriculum.

3. A fairly recent paper looked at this subject matter with practicing family

physicians in the State of Texas. Close to 90 % stated that they were not

taught the subject matter in medical school. Close to the same percentage the

response was that they wanted to be educated in the area because they see

patients with complaints.

Now if the subject matter is not taught, how will the practicing physicians ever

learn?

I wrote a declaration on this for the California court system. The judge looked

at my reference materials and stated that I was allowed to opine on this subject

in her court.

[] Family is coping despite the mold