That's a huge number for such a small region. A total of 104 former students and faculty with brain tumors responded to a Facebook post. Sign up for Patch emails: https://patch.com/subscribe Contact this Patch reporter: Carly.baldwin@patch.com, this resolution approved at their April 5 meeting, Brain Tumor Link To Colonia High School 'Credible,' Town's Mayor Says. . The soil also tested positive for excessive levels of chlordane, heptachlor and heptachlor epoxide all pesticides, the report said. 100 former NJ high school students . A cluster of over 100 rare brain tumors in the past 30 years sparks a health inspection at Colonia High School in New Jersey. Copyright 2023 WABC-TV. I just felt like there were a lot of unanswered questions regarding the school, Komorek told NJ Advance Media. 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. "I started doing some research and the three became five, the five became seven, the seven became 15," said Lupiano. WOODBRIDGE - Work is underway to create a portal for people with ties to Colonia High School who have developed brain tumors to share information with the New . Obviously, everyone's praying and hoping for the best," said Colonia High School junior Julia Pagnozzi. Woodbridge will not get preliminary test results until after this Saturday, April 23, said Hagerty. Massimino said in the memo the district has contacted our environmental consultants, the Health Department of the Township of Woodbridge, and Township Officials to review the information. He also said the township shared the information with the State Department of Environmental Protection and the State Department of Health.. ", "We are taking this incredibly seriously," Woodbridge Mayor John McCormac told Patch earlier this April, saying that he finds Lupiano's theory "quite credible and legitimate. Colonia High School is now the subject of radiation detecting research. Lupiano was diagnosed with a rare and abnormally large brain tumour Acoustic Neuroma (AN) in 1999 when he was just 27 years old. Environmental scientist Al Lupiano is among 94 former students and staff from Colonia High School in Woodbridge, New Jersey, who have been diagnosed with rare brain tumors. The school was built in 1967 and currently serves roughly 1,300 students, the NY Post noted. All three have been diagnosed with a brain tumor. Lupiano also lost his younger sister to the disease in February at the age of 44, the outlet continued. His wife Michelle graduated in 1991. Topics you care about, straight to your inbox. On the National Cancer Institutes list of 27 common afflictions, tumors in the brain and nervous system rank 19th in terms of case rate but 5th-lowest in terms of the chances of survival. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. 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. "And if we do find something, we're going to deal with the consequences.". Two hours later, we received information that my wife also had a primary brain tumor, Lupiano said. At that time, I only had 15 people on the list, and I decided after grieving for a few weeksit was time now to go public and ask people to help me.. He added that the Environmental Protection Agency has gotten involved in the investigation. "My wife was awesome, and I think about her every day - I talk to her all the time," Wisinski said. In a statement to CBS News, Lupiano said he is anxiously awaiting the results of the two-week-long radiological survey which concluded this weekend and he anticipates he will receive the results in weeks. Al Lupiano has found 107 people with primary brain tumors who all attended or worked at Colonia High School. The testing was prompted after township officials learned of various social media posts related to several instances of brain tumors and brain cancer among students and faculty of CHS from approximately 1975-99. T&M Associates subcontracted Cabrera Services Inc., a radiological environmental and remediation company, of East Hartford, Connecticut. The brain tumor cases, appearing over a thirty-year period, are a significant medical mystery that has caused alarm for experts. "My wife fought like crazy. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. In 1999, when he was just 27, Al. They learned of their tumors just eight days apart, while Janice was pregnant with her and Jason's only child. Lupiano, his wife Michele (CHS Class of 1991) and his sister Angela (CHS Class of 1995) were all diagnosed with rare, similar sized brain tumors on the left side. The couple's neurologist was baffled. What treatments are available for the afflicted? Are you a Colonia High School graduate that has been diagnosed with a brain tumor? Others are benign and very slow-growing that are going to use a different kind of treatment altogether. Angela has four daughters who have or will go to Colonia High School. Komorek said the results of her testing indicate state environmental officials should conduct further tests of the air, soil and building compounds at Colonia. Woodbridge Township Mayor John McCormac told WABC that the situation was "alarming because there are just so many people with a tumormalignant or benign, and it's serious.". Al Lupiano, a graduate of the high school, believes there's a link between Colonia High School and brain tumors diagnosed in 108 people over a period of three decades, ending in the early 2000s. Unfortunately, hers was terminal, and she died in February. Luciano has reported his findings to Colonia High School. 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. Both sisters graduated from Colonia High School, just like Al Lupiano in 1989, his wife Michelle in 1991, and his sister, Angela Decillis in 1995. There's a lot of speculation running rampant about what could be causing this, but to date, there has been nothing found. It's just that rare. Friday, April 22, 2022. This is also great news for all former students who attended and staff to work at CHS since it opened back in 1968., McCormac said they sympathize with anyone who has experienced brain tumors and brain cancers, especially those who lost loved ones to the terrible disease, but there is no cause-and-effect relation between those illnesses and the buildings or grounds at CHS.. Superintendent Joseph Massiminio the district worked with representatives from the state Department of Environmental Protection, the state Department of Health, the federal Environmental Protection Agency, Center for Disease Control, and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry to discuss the matter, and that national firms T&M Associates and Cabrera Services were tasked with collecting data and conducting the necessary tests. It's not contaminated water. Listing for: Select Medical Corporation. A few weeks ago, we very suddenly and tragically lost my 44-year-old sister Angela (CHS-95) to a very rare and highly aggressive malignant glioma brain tumor (Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM)) discovered on her left side, he wrote in the newsletter. In his first public comments on the matter, Murphy told reporters he is taking this issue "very seriously," but also cautioned: "I don't know that we know enough yet to be definitive in terms of causation," Murphy said, according to 101.5. "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. This is definitely not normal.. Stanmyre joined WNYC's Morning Edition host Michael Hill to explain the latest on these cases and what the investigation could entail. While generally only life threatening if left untreated, radiation and surgical removal typically leaves individuals with numerous debilitations including chronic headaches, balance issues, fatigue, deafness, slurred speech, inability to blink, and facial paralysis (to name only a few), and that assumes it doesnt begin to regrow in the future. "The EPA and CDC are not testing at Colonia High School," said Hagerty. Nearly 100 people attending a single high school in New Jersey have developed rare forms of brain cancer. So, would . Everyone Practices Cancel Culture | Opinion, Deplatforming Free Speech is Dangerous | Opinion. My MIL died of lung cancer. Lupiano said the rarity of the brain tumors raised concerns of the neurologist they shared since they all grew up in relatively the same neighborhood. Three of the victims are Al Lupiano, his wife Michelle, and his sister Angele Decillis. My best friend had a cancerous brain tumor. However, I still think we need to expedite the next phase of testing including water, soil, and air, to determine if more than one contaminant is present, he said. He was diagnosed 20 years ago. At the time of the CBS interview in late March, Lupiano claimed to have confirmed 65 cases of rare brain tumors, all affecting people who either attended or worked at Colonia High School. 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. 100 PEOPLE WITH RARE TUMORS WHO ATTENDED SAME NEW JERSEY HIGH SCHOOL DEMAND ANSWERS The 110 people that Lupiano has counted on his list of former Colonia High School graduates have been. Pictured, a stock image of a brain scan. Newsweek has reached out to Colonia High School and McCormac. katherine noelle wyman; cape breton post obituaries 2022. location symbol text in word; list of female jockeys australia; mike conley house columbus ohio address Photo credit Google Street View. "I went on Facebook on March 7, and I asked for the people on Facebook to help me find others. All Rights Reserved. Google Maps. He said in 40 years of neurology, he had never heard of a married couple that both had the same type of primary brain tumor. The conversation is available below. 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. Other toxic elements and compounds could exist at the schools property due to presence of suspected fill material, potential illegal disposal of chemicals or contaminant migration from surrounding properties, Komorek stated in her letter. "I had recalled two family friends, the Black sisters, had also passed of these brain tumors," Lupiano said. So that has already begun. This all began last year when Al Lupiano made a startling discovery. Columns with an asterisk or 'N' indicate there was no data or it was suppressed to protect student privacy. We will continue to keep you informed as we develop a plan of action based on the advice of our experts.. WOODBRIDGE TWP., New Jersey -- Al Lupiano graduated from Colonia High School in Woodbridge Township, New Jersey in 1989. Dr. Gracelyn Santos | gsantos@siadvance.com. COLONIA, N.J. - Radiation tests are being done at Colonia High School in New Jersey after more than 100 people were diagnosed with rare brain tumors. Lupiano told CBS News New York that"Fast forward to August of last year My sister received the news she had a primary brain tumor, herself. 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. 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 . It should also be noted that not all the reports of primary brain tumors are cancerous. 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. Woodbridge Township is paying T&M Associates $221,350 to do the radon testing. Nsikan runs the health and science desk at WNYC/Gothamist. pic.twitter.com/mL9bVg9nE4, Katy Tur Reports (@KatyOnMSNBC) April 1, 2022, A majority of the graduates and staff members suffering from the condition were at the school between 1975 and 2000, but some students went through the school as recently as 2014, the NY Post continued. And today we now stand at 117 individuals with primary brain tumors, and another 70 with very rare cancers.". "I need your help Facebook. How did this incident come to light in the first place? He emphasized that there's no need for residents in the community to go get emergency cancer imaging scans immediately. ", ALSO READ | Onlookers urged police to charge into TX school: 'Go in 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. Radiologic Technologist Per Diem. 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. He told WABC that he lost his wife Janice to an inoperable brain tumor 10 years ago and that her sister Cheryl died from brain cancer in 2015. The environmental testing is expected to last a month. There have been some outlier cases. "That started setting off bells and whistles in my head.". The reports have been brought to the attention of local officials who are now looking into them. 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. I don't trust anyone who says that nuclear plant was safe. NEW JERSEY - A New Jersey man has uncovered a medical mystery apparently linking more than 100 people . A A. Komorek was so alarmed by the findings that she decided to pull her daughters out of Colonia this week and enroll them in another Woodbridge high school, per the districts transfer policy. (Scott Faytok | For NJ Advance Media). How many people do we mean here? Almost 100 people from the very same New Jersey high school have all developed brain tumors. Lupiano has spearheaded a public push for answers after he started a Facebook group focused on former Colonia students and the rare brain cancer, the outlet noted. Woodbridge Mayor John McCormick lives just a few blocks from the high school. 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. There could be a real problem here, and our residents deserve to know if there are any dangers, Woodbridge Mayor John McCormac said, according to the outlet. Some of these are non-cancerous, yet very debilitating forms of brain tumor. 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 . Qualifications: Current and valid New Jersey Registered Nurse license is required. We have to really take a look at it," said Woodbridge Township Mayor John McCormac. A video posted on TikTok video by Dr. Joe Whittington, a board-certified doctor in California gave this issue much needed public attention. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. Nsikan was previously at National Geographic where he worked as a science editor, overseeing its COVID-19 coverage in addition to other topics in science, health and technology. Officials are looking for potential radiation at the school. The Daily Caller | 1775 Eye Street NW | Suite 1150-290 | Washington, DC 20006, (RELATED: Video Shows Man Repeatedly Running Over Woman With SUV After Minor Incident). 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