A question for Meg

June 24, 2001

Meg,

Voight here. I am not sure if I had ever mentioned that on my

husbands side there are several children with birth defects. One of the main

ones, hearing impairments. I was contacted by one of his cousins one time

because she was working with a Geneticist who was studying " warfrans

syndrome " . Anyway the only follow up we got was a call regarding the blood

samples... they were taking another look at my son's (CHARGE) and my

husbands. We never heard another word and he is long gone retired now I

guess. The other day I was talking to an older relative of his who had a son

in 1950 who died shortly after a cleft lip repair was done. Mark also has

this. Anyway I was discussing his upcoming surgery in Ann Arbor for

unsedended testicles (again at 17) and she said " how is he in that area? " and

I said very small and she said SO WAS HER SON WHO DIED!! I think this is more

than a coincidence what do you make of this? I think he could have been a

CHARGE baby.

June 24, 2001

,

Lydia Rivers here. I too have learned of birth defects on both sides of the

family over the years. Several babies died due to heart defects. Kidney

problems, reflux to be exact, runs rapid with cousins still living. It was only

the last few years that if I mentioned Kidney reflux someone would say, oh yeah

that's what so in so has. One cousin had a child so severely deformed that they

didn't even want to know the sex and never found out what was wrong with this

child. No one ever questioned any of these problems as they felt its was Gods

will. Well, 15 years later when others are still having children, my daughter

Kim for one, I start questioning the medical history of the family and no one

knows anything. Another cousin's third son was born with a heart condition that

killed one of her sisters years some 25 years before. She could not obtain any

information on her sisters death as her mother, my aunt, had her file sealed? as

she never wanted to know what killed her daughter after surgery. This cousin and

I have talked many times, long distance, trying to convince the family that the

buck doesn't stop here. This will continue and we need to know what is going on.

Our children will one day have children. This is on my side. On my x's side, his

brother was born hearing impaired, almost completely deaf. At the age of 17 he

had sinus surgery due to a blockage, only on one side. I questioned my inlaws on

this after Kim was born, too many simularities. Thinking back I'm sure that he

had choanal atresia. I was told by my socialite x mother inlaw that no one in

the family had ever been born without holes up in their nose, it had to be that

my body couldn't provide enough for twins! I fear for my childrens children. I

really think we will see charge again somewhere down the road.

Lydia, mom to chrgr Kim 15, Alia 15, 17, 20