My appreciation of the critical importance of indoor air quality evolved from my experiences as a special education teacher at McKinley Elementary School in affluent Fairfield, CT. In 1991, shortly after joining the staff, I developed a chronic cough, migraine headaches and a burning sensation in my eyes. As time went on I began to experience muscle spasms, tremors and visible hair loss. The doctors I consulted with were unable to pinpoint a cause despite numerous blood tests and X rays. None of us even considered the possibility that my work environment might be involved.

June 1, 1998 my health problems reached a climax. I awoke in the middle of the night drenched in sweat. The room was spinning so violently that my vision was completely blurred. After ten hours of relentless vomiting, diarrhea, vertigo and tremors I ended up in a hospital emergency room. I told the attending physician that I had spent four days removing twenty bags of mold contaminated materials from classroom closets and wondered if there could be a connection. She assured me that the likely culprit was food poisoning or a virus and I would be fine in a few days. Unfortunately, that was over five years ago and my life has never been the same. Ultimately, I had to accept a disability retirement. It was devastating to abruptly end my twenty-three year career, twenty years ahead of schedule. My anguish would be further compounded a few years later when I realized what happened to me and others was completely preventable.

In October 2000, McKinley was permanently shut down but, not before fifty people became ill and two children had to be hospitalized for severe first time asthma attacks directly linked to poor air quality at the school. Eventually testing confirmed that the air quality was such a health hazard that the building had to be dismantled and rebuilt. For years deferred maintenance allowed mycotoxin producing species of mold to fester at exceedingly high levels.

Since then my case has been documented in peer reviewed medical journals and profiled in regional and national newspapers, magazines and television news programs. Of all of these and a NEA Today article (Nov. 2001) and CBS Evening News segment received the greatest response. Quickly, I became aware that my case was not isolated as parents and teachers throughout the U.S. contacted me to share similar scenarios, seeking solutions.

In July 2002 the Canary Committee (www.canarycommittee.com) as "canaries
in the coal mine" was formed. The primary goal of this grassroots organization was to push for passage of effective indoor air quality legislation. Previous attempts in CT in 2001 and 2002 had failed as more and more cases of illnesses caused by poor environmental conditions in schools were reported. At that time I contacted CHEC for advice and began a series of ongoing consultations with Maureen Marchetta. In October 2002 I was glad to finally meet her when she served as an eloquent speaker at a public forum we presented at Danbury Hospital.

When I was invited by Claire Barnett (Healthy Schools Network) to attend the first ever U.S. Senate hearing in Washington, I didn't think I could manage such a trip due to financial and health issues. Fortunately through CHEC I had met Anne Robertson, one of their most dedicated volunteers. She generously offered to provide my transportation and pay for my travel expenses. Due to ongoing problems with my equilibrium and balance I am not able to fly or drive. So Anne drove me to and from the hearing. October 1, 2002 we were privileged to represent the Canary Committee at this hearing presided over by Senators Jeffords and Hillary Clinton.

Later in March 2003 Anne was among the thirty Canary Committee members to testify on behalf of HB6426 at a public hearing in Hartford. Nine courageous children presented compelling accounts of how indoor air pollution in schools had adversely affected their lives. Members from across CT consistently and passionately showed their support via phone calls, e-mails, letters and weekly visits to the legislative office building. Finally, our efforts were rewarded when An Act Concerning the Indoor Air Quality in Schools was passed overwhelmingly in the House (147 to 1) and Senate (35 to 1).

— Written by Joellen Lawson

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