June 2, 2006
Teenager diagnosed with blood disorder often caused by environmental poisoning
Mary Donovan and her family found to have fewer toxins in their systems than others across Canada
Marty Klinkenberg
Telegraph-Journal
Patty Donovan has cooked from scratch for 15 years, since her twins, Mary and Hanna, were born. She baked home-made bread and made their baby food from organic vegetables grown in the back yard. She used baking soda and vinegar instead of cleaning solvents, made sure contractors used environmentally friendly products during renovations, never used pesticides or perfume, never had carpeting.
So the Quispamsis resident wasn't surprised Thursday when a national research project showed her daughters had the lowest level of contaminants of any participants in the country. The report, done by a Toronto organization called Environmental Defence, is the first study of pollution levels in Canadian youths.
But Ms. Donovan was stunned when her daughter Mary was recently diagnosed with a blood disorder that is often caused by environmental poisoning.
Mary Donovan, a ninth-grade student at Kennebecasis Valley High School, was diagnosed only two weeks ago with severe aplastic anemia, a very serious blood disorder that strikes only about three in every one million people. Her treatment will include blood transfusions, drug therapy and, quite possibly, chemotherapy and a bone marrow transplant.
The cause of her disease is unknown. Causes of aplastic anemia include a genetic disposition - in this case, already ruled out - and environmental poisoning.
"The idea that it could be caused by pollutants is appalling and unacceptable," Patty Donovan said Thursday as she sat in the living room of her home, Mary beside her. The teen is unable to attend school because her immune system has been compromised, and is not allowed to brush her teeth or shave her legs because a scrape or cut could become badly infected.
Mary felt fine until about a month ago, when fatigue set in.
"Suddenly, I felt like I couldn't do things," Mary said. "I was way too weak. I had trouble getting up in the morning for school, and in between classes, I would have to plop down or lean against a wall to rest. It was horrible."
Then bruises appeared on her legs, a symptom of both aplastic anemia and leukemia, which is similar. Her doctor ordered an immediate blood test and she was hospitalized in Saint John later that day. Tests at the IWK Health Centre in Halifax confirmed the diagnosis. Patty Donovan celebrated her 46th birthday on May 18 in the hematology and oncology ward there, with her daughter.
As for the research project, Ms. Donovan says the results were evidence she and her daughters were doing things right.
"For me, this is a vindication, evidence that I am doing the right thing," said Ms. Donovan, who ran in January's federal election as the Green Party candidate for Fundy Royal, the massive riding that covers the area between Fredericton, Saint John and Moncton.
"As a mom, this is a success. This is what I wanted to happen."
Researchers tested 13 people from five families as part of the study, looking for traces of suspected toxins in their blood and urine. The chemicals tested for included DDT, PCBs, mercury and lead, which have been associated with causing cancer, hormone disruption, reproductive disorders, respiratory illnesses, damage to the central nervous system and childhood development.
The study found an average of 23 known or suspected toxins in the blood and urine of the seven children involved in the project, but six fewer in the Donovan twins.
Ms. Donovan, the program facilitator at a women's shelter in Saint John, was found to have the fewest chemicals in her body (24) among the six adults tested.
Two participants - from Gatineau and Whapmagoostui, both in Quebec - tested positive for 51.
Health Canada responded to the findings by promising to do a similar study next year.
Ms. Donovan was generally pleased by the findings, but was startled that cancer-causing DDT and PCBs, both banned before they were born, were found in the twins. The most likely sources are from water and air.
"I never thought I would find DDT in my kids,' Ms. Donovan said. "That shows that they are persistent, organic pollutants. It takes a long time for these chemicals to leave."
Today, Mary Donovan and her mother are looking ahead to Mary's treatment. Mary has already cut her hair short because she knows her hair will fall out when her chemotherapy begins.
"We're approaching this as an adventure," Patty Donovan said.
"We're going to shave our heads and get cool caps, and we're going to learn about the body. We're trying to be as positive as possible. We could cry, stomp, yell and point fingers, but none of that would help.
"We've been handed a task, and the task is to beat this disease and get well."
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