Over 122 people connected to Colonia High School were found to have brain tumors. SOURCES:PEOPLE Magazine, CBS News New York, New York Post, NJ.com &Dr. Joe Whittington. The environmental testing is expected to last a month. So, would . The sudden death of his sister led Lupiano on a research mission about the rare brain tumors. Radiologic Technologist Per Diem. 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. Al Lupiano, a Colonia High School graduate is on a mission to answer that question after discovering more than 80 fe. Were all concerned, and we all want to get to the bottom of this. The soil also tested positive for excessive levels of chlordane, heptachlor and heptachlor epoxide all pesticides, the report said. 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. Through his posts, Lupiano, CHS Class of 1989, wanted to find out if CHS is the cause of primary brain tumors that have affected more than 100 former students and staff. Luciano has reported his findings to Colonia High School. Al Lupiano, an environmental scientist,. Brain cancer is relatively rare but very dangerous. An investigation has been launched after more than 100 people who attended a high. My MIL died of lung cancer. All of the cases have ties to Colonia High School, either as students or employees. The environmental assessment study at Colonia High School was recently completed, in response to allegations that suggested the school had radiological hazards that contributed to diagnoses of brain tumors, cancers, and other central nervous disorders in former students and staff members. There have been some outlier cases. The school was built in 1967 and currently serves roughly 1,300 students, the NY Post noted. The sample was collected using a laboratory-prepared hexane wipe and placed in a pre-cleaned, laboratory-provided jar, with a screw-on lid. WOODBRIDGE, NJ Air quality testing is being done at Colonia High School this week, while the Woodbridge school district is closed for spring break. In presenting her findings, Komorek urged the district to share her findings with the state Department of Environmental Protection and the federal Environmental Protection Agency. A video posted on TikTok video by Dr. Joe Whittington, a board-certified doctor in California gave this issue much needed public attention. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. "I am beyond pleased to announce that after an extensive field investigation that included assessing the classrooms, school building materials, and the entire 28 acres of the Colonia High School campus, no radiological hazards were identified that warrant further investigation," he wrote in a letter to families. Hochul deflects when asked about 'good cause' eviction bill, Judge: Former coach's discrimination lawsuit against New York Giants and NFL can proceed, Supreme Court justices pour water on NYs push to save mob-busting seaport watchdog, NJ Legislature OKs bill to make landlords, sellers warn residents about past floods. It should also be noted that not all the reports of primary brain tumors are cancerous. Its not something done to us due to bad habits, Lupiano told CBS News. Part Time, Per diem position. Just simple math in my head having a husband and wife with this tumor, which arent related and then to have my sister with a blastoma, I knew something was wrong, Lupiano says. "That started setting off bells and whistles in my head.". She made it five years.". These tumors are even more rare occurring in 10 out of 1,000,000 individuals.. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. Follow him on Twitter @MattStanmyre. Rohit Ranjan. A soil sample taken from near the northern wall of the school similarly indicated PCBs concentration of 575 mg/kg, exceeding the New Jersey Soil Remediation Standard. "They are working with the Township to review the test findings and prepare a course of action if necessary.". The action (should) be undertaken immediately, due to high exceedances of the State and Federal regulatory standards for PCBs and pesticides, as well as the fact that PCBs and chlordane inhalation may be occurring by students and staff, Komorek stated in a letter to district officials. Komorek presented her findings Monday to Woodbridge superintendent Joseph Massimino, Colonia principal Kenneth Pace and Woodbridge Education Association president Brian Geoffroy. I will not rest until I have answers. No one knows exactly what it is. He has contacted: Mayor McCormac confirmed these details yesterday to PEOPLE Magazine. Federal Agency for Toxic Substance and Disease Registry. They learned of their tumors eight days apart. Earlier this year, Lupianos sister lost her battle with a very rare and highly aggressive malignant glioma brain tumor, glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) at age 44. Lupiano has been able to confirm that 94 former students and staff of Colonia High School had developed brain tumors, as per coverage in New York Post. All rights reserved. Hill: Brain tumors, relative to other types of cancer, are typically rare but can be very lethal. CNN's Ana Cabrera speaks to Al Lupiano, a former student. His wife was diagnosed with an acoustic neuroma, which is a benign brain tumor and is the exact same brain tumor that Al Lupiano himself was diagnosed with 22 years ago. T&M Associates subcontracted Cabrera Services Inc., a radiological environmental and remediation company, of East Hartford, Connecticut. A comprehensive investigation of soil, indoor air, and groundwater shall be conducted to determine if children and staff are exposed to unhealthy levels of toxins other than already identified PCBs and pesticides., In his letter to the parents in the school district, Massimino wrote: Nothing in the newly reported information has any bearing on the prior studies which determined last spring that no radiation was found inside or outside of Colonia High School. Lupiano started researching. The sample came back indicating PCBs at concentration of 4.3 ug/wipe (or 100 cm2), indicating that PCBs may be present in indoor air, according to a report compiled by Komorek and obtained by NJ Advance Media. They said they took your temperature. McCormac, along with schools Superintendent Joseph Massimino; Shawn LaTourette, commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection; and Judith Persichilli, commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Health, announced the results of the radiation testing during a press conference at CHS on May 26. An alumnus of Colonia High School in Woodbridege, N.J. is investigating his former high school, claiming he has counted 115 people who attended or worked there to have had a rare brain tumor, according to CBS News. Colonia is not a mega high school. Jason Wisinski lost his wife, Janice, 10 years ago to an inoperable brain tumor called Anaplastic Astrocytoma. All three have been diagnosed with a brain tumor. Colonia High School: Environmentalists determining possible link between New Jersey school and brain tumors - ABC7 Chicago tumor Former students wonder if their brain tumors are. As of April 11, Lupiano wrote on this personal Facebook page that he now has tracked about 100 people with rare brain tumors and they all are either Colonia High School graduates or worked in the school building. 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. WOODBRIDGE TWP., New Jersey -- Al Lupiano graduated from Colonia High School in Woodbridge Township, New Jersey in 1989. "There's lots and lots of people calling me, saying, 'Look, I didn't go to the high school, but I live a mile away, and we call our block cancer alley,'" he told Fox News. That is the question residents are hoping to answer in the Colonia section of Woodbridge. The brain tumor cases, appearing over a thirty-year period, are a significant medical mystery that has caused alarm for experts. Dating back decades, newly detailed reports of more than 100 cases of brain tumors among former students and staff at Colonia High School in Woodbridge have raised obvious concerns. Jason Wisinksi lost his wife Janice 10 years ago to an inoperable brain tumor called Anaplastic Astrocytoma. He added that the Environmental Protection Agency has gotten involved in the investigation. Both parents of children in school and current teachers and staff deserve answers. The reports have been brought to the attention of local officials who are now looking into them. Earlier this year, Colonia graduate Al Lupiano, also an environmental scientist, discovered more than 100 teachers and alums of the school who reported having brain tumors, drawing international attention to the community and sparking state and local investigations. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023). "When I started looking into it, I quickly amassed 15 of our classmates with these rare brain tumors," he told NewsNation. Radiology, Allied Health, Radiologic Technologist, Neurophysiology. Lupiano has confirmed that he will not stop until he finds out what has happened here over the years at Colonia High School. ", "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. 94 people from Colonia High School in Woodbridge, New Jersey are part of a cancer cluster of still unknown origin. It has been lightly edited for clarity. The school campus is just under 12 miles from the Middlesex Sampling Plant, which was used to crush, cry, store, package and ship uranium ore during the development of the atomic bomb under direction from the Manhattan Project, the outlet continued. Lupiano, an environmental scientist, began researching the matter and reaching out to people on Facebook who had attended the school and been diagnosed with primary brain tumors. His name is on it, along with his wife and late sister. After nearly 100 people who attended the same New Jersey high school developed rare brain tumors, an alumnus and cancer survivor is demanding answers. This all began last year when Al Lupiano made a startling discovery. Theres no telling if they're going to find answers here. 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. For her part, Komorek said she took it upon herself to do the independent testing for my own peace of mind, to sleep at night, and for my girls to remain at the school., I was hoping it was going to come back negative, she added. The ground and air testing will begin on Saturday. Jason Wisinski is another person affected by the spate of tumor cases. The conversation is available below. 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. 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. A high school in Woodbridge Township, New Jersey, is being investigated by environmental experts after reports of more than 100 former students and staff being diagnosed with brain tumors. I could go on. We will continue to keep you informed as we develop a plan of action based on the advice of our experts.. If you were affected or have a tumor or rare cancer, I need your assistance," his Facebook post read. Whittington believes that the Colonia High School students and staff have developed glioblastoma multiforme, a fast-growing and aggressive brain tumor that invades the nearby brain tissue. 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 . Friday, April 22, 2022. Today, he still suffers lingering effects. "I had recalled two family friends, the Black sisters, had also passed of these brain tumors," Lupiano said. ", "Just the sheer numbers of cases he's found is staggering," McCormac continued. Lupiano's sister passed away in February, 2022 at the young age of 44. NJ cluster of brain cancer prompts investigation, We rely on your support to make local news available to all, Astoria pool will be closed this summer for renovations: Parks, Gov. My list quickly started multiplyingit all seemed to be linked back to the high school. Colonia High School graduateAl Lupiano talks to @KatyTurNBC about gathering names of over 80 individuals with rare brain tumors who attended the school. Lupiano has confirmed that he will not stop until he finds out what has happened here over the years at Colonia High School. His wife and sister found out on the same day last August - two hours apart. Lupiano has found nearly 200 people with links to Colonia High School who have brain tumors or other rare cancers. "I went on Facebook on March 7, and I asked for the people on Facebook to help me find others. Advocates, for months, implored state and local officials to undertake more testing. Would they just end it at that?. "We're going to test and hope we find nothing," McCormac previously said. Lupiano also says people who did not attend the school but live nearby have gotten in touch with him to express their concerns. 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. Is Colonia High School the cause of primary brain tumors in former students and staff from 1975 to 1995? The investigation started earlier this year after a stunning number of cancer cases in people who had a connection to the school. Courtesy Al Lupiano. He said he is specifically looking for anyone who graduated from or attend Colonia High School from approximately 1975 to 1995. What would you do if you went to the doctor, you arent feeling well, asked Matthew DeCillis, whose wife, Angela, died from a brain tumor in February. Colonia High School is now the. 100 former NJ high school students . katherine noelle wyman; cape breton post obituaries 2022. location symbol text in word; list of female jockeys australia; mike conley house columbus ohio address Correction 04/26/2022 9.51 a.m. In a mysterious story, a man from New Jersey named Al Lupiano found out that 100 people with uncommon cancers were linked to Woodbridge Township School District, Colonia High School. Lupiano was diagnosed with glioblastoma (brain cancer) when he was 27 years old, about 25 years ago. He made a public plea on Facebook to anyone from the school who was diagnosed with primary brain tumors. Two hours later, we received information that my wife also had a primary brain tumor, said Lupiano. All rights reserved (About Us). Lupianos quest for information took him to Facebook last month, and that list of people who went to or worked at Colonia High School - and have a primary brain tumor - is now closing in on 100 cases. 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. . 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. Additionally, T&M Associates has begun conducting historic site research to obtain any and all necessary records related to the construction of Colonia High School when it was built in 1967, through to the present. Matthew Stanmyre may be reached at mstanmyre@njadvancemedia.com. He is keeping a list. Job specializations: Healthcare. Dr. Gracelyn Santos | gsantos@siadvance.com. 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 . This is terrific news for current students of Colonia High School (CHS) and their parents who worried about their safety along with current staff members, Mayor John E. McCormac said. But according to the new results, the school currently poses no danger. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Al Lupiano has found 107 people with primary brain tumors who all attended or worked at Colonia High School. Officials are looking for potential radiation at the school. 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. They learned of their tumors just eight days apart, while Janice was pregnant with her and Jason's only child. When it didnt happen, Komorek who earned a joint degree in environmental science from Rutgers and New Jersey Institute of Technology and specializes in air, ground water and soil contamination took matters into her own hands. 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. At the time, medium lifespan for her type of tumor was 18 months. National Cancer Institutes list of 27 common afflictions. Some are the most awful worst kinds of brain cancer. Copyright 2023 WABC-TV. This is when a low-level radioactive rock was found and removed from the school grounds. Since . Such odds help to explain the public surprise after NJ Advance Media reported in early April that New Jerseyans living in the neighboring communities of Woodbridge and Colonia have developed various forms of brain tumors. 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. McCormac says last Saturday, environmentalists placed random canisters inside the school to collect air samples. Some of these are non-cancerous, yet very debilitating forms of brain tumor. His sister succumbed to brain cancer. I will uncover the truth," Lupiano said to NJ.com. 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