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Views and Viewpoints The McDuffie Progress

Wednesday, May 10, 2006 www.mcduffieprogress.com

In Our Opinion

4-H members work Why Relay? It’s important!

Why Relay for Life?
Simple, but complicated.
hard all year long Simple, because there is a
need. Complicated, because
that need strikes so close to
Being in 4-H is fun, but it also involves making a strong
commitment to hard work and to spending time developing
home for many of us.
The need created by cancer
and the devastation it creates
skills and projects. used to be further away.
Recently, more than 80 4-H Club members in McDuffie Years ago, one would know
County were honored during the organization’s annual someone who knew someone
awards banquet. who had cancer. Then, later,
Club members are actively involved in competitions that one would know someone
challenge them while requiring many hours of preparation. who had cancer.
In turn, 4-H’ers learn vital skills that will stand them in good The steps we will take this
stead for the rest of their lives. weekend will do great things.
In addition, the organization offers youngsters the opportu- Relay For Life represents
nity to meet a wide variety of fellow students across the coun- the hope that those lost to
ty, district and state as they attend and participate in a num- cancer will never be forgot-
ber of competitions. ten, that those who face can-
Of special note are the three top honorees – Andrew cer will be supported, and
Hyman, cloverleaf 4-H‚er of the year; Elizabeth Ivey, junior 4- that one day, cancer will be
H’er of the year; and Amber Johnson, senior 4-H’er of the eliminated.
year – whose commitment to this worthwhile program made Relay for Life, the way
them stand out among the rest this past year. McDuffie County does it,
Congratulations to all those who participate in 4-H as well gives everyone a chance to be
as those who help make this program an important building involved.
block in students’ lives.
personally
by
Speaking
Jim
WALLACE
SENIOR STAFF WRITER
From the dozens of
fundraisers to signing up for
a team and walking the
Thomson High School track
this weekend, there is a way
everyone can be a part.
Besides the research that
our steps this weekend will
fund, the Relay also gives
strength to caregivers. These
individuals give their time,
love and support to friends,
family and neighbors who
face cancer.
As we make out laps Friday
and Saturday, everyone
should understands the chal-
lenges, but also the joys of
being a caregiver.
There is peace of mind
knowing that together we
can face the challenges
ahead.
The Relay’s Luminaria
Ceremony is the most strik-
ing for me.
I walk around the track
beforehand and gaze at the
names on the white bags that
honor one who has lost a bat-
tle to cancer or one who is
battling and winning.
Often, I will see a name that
takes my breath away –
either because I had forgot-
ten about their having con-
tracted cancer or because I
had no knowledge they suf-
fered.
So far, in the eight years
that McDuffie County has
hosted a walk, $1,004,617 has
been raised in the fight. Last
year, Relay took in
$220,729.36, good enough for
second place per-capita in all
the Relays in the country.
So far this year, nearly
$112,000 has been raised of
our $220,000 goal.
Some time ago, I found this
anonymous poem about what
cancer cannot do. I share it
with you here and ask you to
remember its words as we
take our laps this weekend.
Cancer is so limited that:
It cannot cripple love.
It cannot shatter hope.
It cannot corrode faith.
It cannot destroy peace.
It cannot kill friendship.
It cannot suppress memo-
ries.
It cannot silence courage.
It cannot invade the soul.
It cannot steal eternal life.
It cannot conquer the spir-
it.

A sportsman went to a
hunting lodge and bagged the
limit of birds with the help of
a dog named “salesman.”
The following year, when
he returned, he asked for the
same dog.
“He’s no good now,” said
the handler.
“What happened?” asked
the man.
“Some fool called him
SEEDS
FROM THE
SOWER
Michael A. Guido,
Metter, Ga.
‘sales manager.’ Now all he
does is sit around and bark.
How soon he passed from
hero to zero.
“Pride goes before destruc-
tion and haughtiness before
a fall.”
The Living Bible says, “If
you will humble yourselves
under the mighty hand of
God, in His good time He will
lift you up.
‘Sick house’ causes illness
By APRIL DAVIS
Progress Staff Writer
Breaking the mold takes on
a new meaning as a local
woman struggles with severe
illness.
Iris Harden said she has
suffered from mycotoxin
induced illnesses since 2003.
“I unknowingly moved into
what I feel was a ‘sick house’
around June 2003,” she said.
“I moved out in March 2005
after it became very clear
that my living environment
was toxic to me. My case is
being documented due to
such severity.”
According to the U.S.
Environmental Protection
Agency, the term “sick build-
ing syndrome” describes sit-
uations similar to Harden’s
where building occupants

The McDuffie Progress experience acute health and

comfort effects that appear to
be linked to time spent in a
building.
“I believe sharing my story
A Vital Source of McDuffie County News Since 1899 is very important,” she said.
Published Semi-Weekly by McDuffie Newspapers, Inc. “Not only for me, but also to
educate and make others
Jennifer Allen Marsha Hamilton aware of the serious health
PUBLISHER OFFICE MANAGER effects certain molds and tox-
ins can produce under the
right conditions.”
Dianne Bond Renee Sinkfield Harden provided written
CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING/LEGALS CIRCULATION documentation from
renowned experts in the med-
ical field as well as a letter
Michele Hagerman • Antrone Brewer from Congressman Charlie
PRODUCTION Norwood concerning prob-
lems in America dealing with
Jim Wallace April Davis • Stephanie Gibson toxic mold, especially since
Hurricanes Katrina and Rita
MANAGING EDITOR STAFF WRITERS devastated the Gulf Coast.
“I’ll attempt to share some
Tim Phillips Debra Hamrick • Richard Brown of what I actually feel as a
ADVERTISING DIRECTOR ADVERTISING victim; however, on a profes-
sional level, I believe those
who have dedicated their
Offices Located At: 101 Church Street • Thomson, Georgia 30824 lives to the study, research
Phone: (706) 595-1601 Fax: (706) 597-8974 and treatment of environ-
mental illnesses can give a
Email News: editor@mcduffieprogress.com clearer understanding,” she
composing@mcduffieprogress.com said.
“They have dealt with not
Advertising Email: art@mcduffieprogress.com only my case, but endless
mold victims across the
www.mcduffieprogress.com country.”
Harden said she’s present-
ly living one prayer, one day
SUBSCRIPTION RATES: and one treatment at a time.
“My treating physician, Dr.
3 Month Carrier: $15.00 • 3 Month Mail: $20.00 John Wilson, an environmen-
6 Month Carrier: $25.00 • 6 Month Mail: $35.00 tal medicine specialist at
Great Smokey Medical
1 Year Carrier: $40.00 • 1 Year Mail: $65.00 Center in Asheville, N.C.,
(Carrier McDuffie County Only) told me I will make a differ-
ence,” she said.
“The McDuffie Progress #335140” “My story may save one life
or thousands.”
Published Semi-Weekly • Periodicals Postage Paid At: Thomson, GA. Harden said her doctor
stresses the importance of
POSTMASTER: weekly medical treatments.
Send Changes to: The McDuffie Progress P.O. Box 1090, Thomson, GA. 30824-1090 “Dr. Wilson and his staff
have so compassionately
ADVERTISING DEADLINES: opened their hearts, facili-
RETAIL CLASSIFIED ties, treatments and expert-
SUNDAY: SUNDAY: ise to try and save my life,”
Space Deadline - Wednesday NOON Thursday @ 10:00 a.m. she said. “I’ve come far, but
Proof Deadline - Thursday 3:00 p.m. WEDNESDAY: it’s still a long road to recov-
WEDNESDAY: Monday @ 10:00 a.m. ery.”
Harden said she had odd
Space Deadline - Friday NOON
symptoms in the beginning
Proof Deadline - Monday 3:00 p.m.
months of her illness –
unusual bruising; excrutiat-
ing, involuntary seizure-like
muscle contractions; dry
eyes; and weakness.
As with many who believe
to have suffered from sick
building syndrome, Harden
THE FOUR-WAY TEST said no specific cause could
be identified ... not even by
of the things we think, say or do medical doctors.
“I’m a non-smoker,” she
first... said, “and I had a normal
Is it the TRUTH chest X-ray in 2003. After 11
second... months of exposure, an X-ray
in 2004 showed internal lung
Is it FAIR to all concerned? disease.”
third... The illness progressed by
Will it build GOOD WILL January 2005 when Harden
and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS? said she began experiencing
visible burning and blister-
fourth... ing of the skin.
Will it be BENEFICIAL to “I couldn’t keep my eyes
all concerned? open,” she said.
Iris Harden’s love for music continues to help her cope with a longtime ill-
ness.
“Sometimes, I had to be led
around the house. My fore-
arms and face throbbed and
ached like something was
irritating me.”
The pain continued to
grow, causing Harden to
abandon the home and begin
living temporarily in hotels.
“But even the blankets on
the bed hurt due to my
increased sensitivity,” she
said.
Harden said she still had to
re-enter her home to handle
day-to-day business.
“I felt the irritating, burn-
ing pain travel to my lungs,
chest and abdomen almost
immediately after entering
the house again,” she said.
After longtime pain and
suffering, Harden found
another place to live.
“I felt my problems were
over,” she said.
“But due to my lack of
knowledge about the situa-
tion and still no diagnosis, I
brought all of our contami-
nated belongings into the
new home and now it is toxic
to me.”
Harden said while some of
the symptoms went away
after relocating, the mycotox-
ins already had worked their
way deeper into her body.
She arranged an appoint-
ment with a toxicologist to
find out whether or not her
theories were true.
“My current physician
said I was a susceptible host –
a perfect candidate for the
quick effects the mold had on
me due to previous health
problems,” Harden said.
“I’ve since learned that chil-
dren, the elderly and those
with respiratory problems
also are easy targets. But
under the right conditions,
anyone can be adversely
affected by molds and myco-
toxins.”
WHAT THE
EXPERTS SAY
“Iris is the most mold toxic
Photo special to The Progress
person I’ve seen,” said Dr.
Wilson.
“Genetic testing actually
showed molds growing in her
white blood cells and lungs.
She is very ill.
“Severe hypersensitivity to
many molds and mycotoxins
was clearly revealed on a
biopsy,” he said.
“High antibody levels
reveal the same.”
Wilson said when she
moved to her new dwelling,
clothes, fabrics and other
personal material brought
along have cross-contaminat-
ed her new living space and
added to her toxicity.
“This type of cross-con-
tamination is well document-
ed in the environmental med-
ical community,” he said.
“It’s a typical recommenda-
tion that all material in a
mycotoxin contaminated
home be destroyed and not
brought into the next resi-
dence. Now, all of her belong-
ings must be replaced.”
Dr. Aristo Vojdani, CEO of
Immunosciences Lab in
Beverly Hills, Calif., initially
performed tests on Harden at
no charge and is currently
documenting her case.
Vojdani, who has expertise
in microbiology and
immunology and has had
more than 100 articles pub-
lished in scientific journals,
said Harden is a unique case,
testing positive for all five
biomarkers used to detect the
illness and its severity.
They include elevated mold
levels in a building; elevated
mycotoxins in a building;
high antibodies against
mold; high antibodies
against mycotoxins and per-
forming a special test which
measures DNA.
William A. Croft, a medical
pathologist with
Environmental Diagnostic
Group Inc., has studied myco-
toxins for more than 20 years.
“Mycotoxins shut down the
cellular factory,” he said.
“Cells can’t repair, maintain
or reproduce. It’s a stealth
poison, and I don’t think peo-
ple realize the serious effects
it can have on a person
exposed to it.”
Kevin Corstens, a resource
consultant for sick buildings,
said, “There’s no cure. It’s a
lifelong fight.”
He said people like Iris
aren’t looking to “point fin-
gers,” but instead are looking
for acknowledgement and
treatment so that they can
help themselves and others.
Corstens, whose wife also
is plagued with a similar ill-
ness, said mycotoxins and
molds do whatever necessary
to exist, which is one of the
reasons the entire body is
often affected.
“People who are suffering
from exposure to mold and
mycotoxins usually have any-
where from 25 to 30 symp-
toms at one time,” he said.
“That’s why it’s important
for doctors to look at the
whole body.”
Corstens said, “This is an
issue that needs the support
of those who suffer from the
illness as well as the govern-
ment and medical communi-
ty. It’s time for people to
wake up.”
TREATMENT
Wilson said Harden is cur-
rently undergoing treatment
to build up her immune sys-
tem.
To receive these treat-
ments, Harden and her care-
taker, Tommy Lee Brooks,
travel to Asheville twice a
week. Harden said the more
than 500 mile trip has been a
struggle for the two.
“I plan on beating this,”
said Harden,” but I can’t do it
alone.”
Harden said any support,
prayers or financial help is
welcome and appreciated.
For more information, con-
tact Harden at P.O. Box 25,
Harlem, Ga. 30814 or write to
centurydemos@hotmail.co.