November, 2000

Web Page Update

It has been nearly a year since this web page was initiated by volunteer student input. College demands intervened, and the web page remained unfinished. New volunteer energy has made it possible to correct errors and add new material. For this we are very grateful.

The Cancer Awareness Coalition, Inc. came about because of the many health problems suffered by the Cates Family who lived adjacent to corn fields and green houses. Their home and yard were repeatedly doused with aerially applied pesticides. On two occasions Marianna Cates was doused with chemicals while working in her own garden. After many years of drinking well water, they discovered their well had very high concentrations of agricultural chemicals. This was not found by the county health dept. which only tests for e-coli bacteria. The Cates Family had to pay for a private test.

Marianna Cates died in June 1995, only a year and a half after the formation of the Cancer Awareness Coalition. Her husband, who had also suffered from cancer, died from its complications in July 1999. Their beautiful fun-loving, upbeat 34-year-old daughter, Suzie, died in March 2000 from complications of medication for previously diagnosed cancers. It has been very sad for all those who knew, admired, respected, and loved them.

It is all too easy for physicians and others to say that cancer runs in families, blaming it on bad genes, without looking for underlying causes. It is important to note that the Cates Family lost a young son who was born shortly after they moved into their home. He developed a rare kidney disease, which the medical community was at a loss to explain. In the 1960s no one thought to test the water, and still this is not done as often as it should.

What steered Marianna Cates in the direction of learning about environmental toxins and disease was a visit to the vet. Their pets also developed cancers. On one particular occasion the local vet was away and his practice was being covered by a visiting vet from the Midwest who took one look at the dog and said the problem was a "classic case of organophosphate poisoning." On the way home Marianna began to wonder if her family's health problems could be related to the same chemicals.

Marianna also suffered with Multiple Sclerosis and diabetes. Attending MS support groups she learned that many individuals with MS had a family member with cancer.

She began to read voraciously on the topic and to communicate with experts in the field of environmentally induced illnesses. After amassing a great deal of information, the family decided to hold an open meeting in November 1993, to share what they had they learned about the environment and health issues.

A hospital donated funds to rent space for the meeting. The three invited guest speakers were the director of the New York Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides, a virtual walking encyclopedia on the topic of pesticide induced health risks; an architect who designed healthy environments for chemically sensitive individuals; and an organic farmer who spoke with great reverence of the relationship between healthy soil, healthy food, and healthy bodies.

That November meeting was a moving experience for many people who attended. It was also a wake-up call for more information, for greater awareness, and it marks the beginning of the Cancer Awareness Coalition, Inc.

It is with great sadness that we remember the many sacrifices made by Marianna, her husband, Ray, and their daughter, Suzie. It was their strong desire to raise public awareness about toxic chemicals used in schools, in agriculture, and in the home and yard, that is the foundation of the CAC. Marianna worked diligently for laws that would protect the public from unnecessary exposure, and for a regional survey that would record the incidence of disease in the Mid-Hudson area.

Change comes very slowly. The New York State Dept. of Health is in the process of assembling health maps by county showing the incidence of various cancers. This information can be obtained by calling 1-800-458-1158. The CAC developed its own two-page health questionnaire, which can be used by anyone who would like to get a better profile on the health picture of his or her neighborhood. Copies are available by calling (845) 255-0836 or 338-7759.

As for protective laws, there are currently two pieces of legislation being pushed by health advocates. The "Neighbor Pre-Notification" bill and the "Sunset Law." (Please read more about these on our website.)

We are indebted to all the Marianna Cates' of this world, the many unsung heroes, the whistle blowers, the men and women, and grassroots organizations, severely underfinanced and understaffed, but overflowing with a desire to help and protect families everywhere.

"Never doubt that a small group of dedicated people can change the world; indeed it is the only thing that ever has," Margaret Mead.