TFG Charity of the Month

DESTINY'S CHILD
AFTER THE LOSS OF THEIR DAUGHTER TO CANCER CAUSED BY ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS,
NANCY AND JAMES CHUDA MADE IT THEIR MISSION TO GIVE OTHER CHILDREN A HEALTHY START

HCHW

More than 125 million American children today face an
historically unprecedented rise in chronic disease and
illness, including cancer, autism, asthma, birth defects,
ADD/ADHD and learning and developmental disabilities,
according to www.healthychild.org, the website of
Healthy Child Healthy World, a charity that has become
the nation's leading organization in the movement to create
healthy environments and embrace green, non-toxic steps.

“Healthy Child Healthy World is dedicated to protecting the health and well-being of children from harmful environmental exposures. We educate parents, support protective policies, and engage communities to make responsible decisions, simple everyday choices and well-informed lifestyle improvements to create healthy environments where children and families can flourish,” says its project manager, Mandy Geisler.

Nancy and James Chuda, the founders of the organization know all too well how the escalation of harmful environmental factors are a real and present danger not only to the world we live in, but to the people who live in it. “Colette was our daughter. It is because of Colette—and the countless other children whose lives are being lost to cancer and other childhood diseases that are linked to hazards in the environment—that we are reaching out to you,” say the Chudas, who add: “When children are stricken with cancer, you fight for their lives and look for reasons. We asked all along about the cause. People would say, 'This is rare. This is non-hereditary;' but we had been so careful as parents. We couldn't imagine an environmental cause, so we underwent tests to see if something in our own health profiles might have affected Colette. The tests yielded no clues and it was proven that her cancer was, in fact, not genetic. We began to question whether something in the environment had interfered with Colette's gestational development. We learned, after consulting an expert on Wilm's Tumor, the cancer that struck Colette, that it was possible that something Nancy had ingested or was exposed to in the environment during her pregnancy could have triggered the destructive mechanism that caused Colette's cancer to later develop.”

Colette Chuda

The Chudas searched in vain for the exact cause of Colette's condition. “Much to our surprise, we found that there was very little scientific research on the link between the growing incidence of childhood cancer and environmental toxics. In fact, we discovered that virtually all of our environmental protection standards in the United States are based on research that measures the potential effects of carcinogens on a 155-pound adult male...We began to see that if the gap in research on environmental toxic-impacts on children could be filled, perhaps more appropriate protection standards could be set, and growth in the incidence of childhood cancer might be checked,” they say.

It took four years before the Chuda's suspicions were confirmed when a March 1995 study, Parental Exposure to Pesticides and Risk of Wilm's Tumor in Brazil, was published by the American Journal of Epidemiology. The study revealed a link between parental pesticide use before pregnancy and the age of the child at the time of the diagnosis of Wilm's Tumor. The studied showed that maternal exposure to pesticides was most likely a cause of the disease when the tumor was diagnosed 48 months after the child's birth. Colette was exactly four years old when she was diagnosed. The study also found that "the effects of pesticides could be mediated by mutations in germ cells, by exposure of the fetus in utero or by exposure after birth from residues present in breast milk, in foods, in the home or in the surrounding environment."

The Chudas say that the morning after Colette died, a close friend suggested that they start an environmental fund in their daughter's honor since she loved the park and nature so much. The Chudas add: “Of course, at the time, we had all we could do just to survive the overwhelming loss. We were dazed. But the seed of an idea was planted; one that has actually helped us over time to transform our pain into a hope that we can do something to help others avoid what we went through.”

As such, The Chudas founded an organization that became Healthy Child Healthy World to expand awareness and understanding of environmental hazards to children's health while raising the public awareness about healthier practices, solutions and products in the marketplace.

“As Colette's parents, we will never forget her bravery. She taught us not to be afraid to die. She proved to us that unconditional love lasts forever. It is this flame that burns deep in our hearts even today. We want to share what parents who have lost children tragically to cancer have learned and what together we can do about this terrible threat to all children,” they say.

How can you help?

Learn how to make better personal choices; take public action; find practical solutions; and support sustainable companies (Sustainable companies are defined by the EPA as having the ability to achieve continued economic prosperity while protecting the natural systems of the planet and providing a high quality of life for its people.).

Support Healthy Child Healthy World by becoming a member and participating in its campaigns; by donating or volunteering; and by learning about its partnership opportunities.

Create and promote standards and policies for safer products, foods, materials and chemicals used in the home.

Advocate for and support corporate policies and governmental legislation that protect children from environmental risks.

We at THE FAMILY GROOVE are honored to feature Healthy Child Healthy world as the Charity of the Month. As parents, we're inspired to be vigilant in our day-to-day choices, making smarter ones for the sake our children and the world they live in. We'll continue to support Healthy Child Healthy World as if our lives depended on it—because they do.

The Healthy Child Healthy World website is an invaluable tool for getting educated about the preventable dangers of lurking in our modern world. For more information, to donate or to volunteer, go to www.healthychild.org.

THE FAMILY GROOVE donates a percentage of its revenue to its featured charity of the month.

HEALTHY CHILD HEALTHY WORLD GIVES US FIVE WAYS TO MAKE OUR CHILDREN HEALTHIER NOW
FIVE FOR FIGHTING
1	Manage pests safely. The EPA identifies exposure to common lawn care and indoor pesticides as potentially causing a range of health problems. Rather than struggling to keep children from these harmful threats, you can simply make healthier choices in pest control.	Action: Choose non-toxic lawn/garden products for insecticides, pesticides, weed killers, fertilizers and flea/tick control. Remember to encourage good sanitation habits, such as washing hands after being outdoors and taking shoes off at the door.
2	Use non-toxic products, cleaners, body care, home furnishings. Today, many chemicals in conventional cleaning products, body care and home furnishings contain a range of synthetic chemicals and preservatives that have been connected to health problems. Fortunately, you have a wide selection of healthier options for house cleaning tasks, as well as natural body care and non-toxic home products.	Action: Remember to read the labels and ask questions. Use products labeled non-toxic, chlorine-free, phosphate-free, biodegradable, natural fragrance, paraben-free, hypoallergenic, vegetable/bio/water based, petroleum-free, organic, low/zero VOC, recycled/reclaimed and formaldehyde-free. Avoid using products that say poison, danger, warning or caution.
3	Clean up indoor air. Did you know that people in the U.S. spend 90% of their time indoors? It might seem safer and cleaner, but the EPA says indoor air pollution is one of the nation’s most pressing personal health concerns. It’s easy to reduce the risk. As described above, start by replacing products that contribute to the problem, and then try some other simple solutions.	Action: Ventilate your home, especially the bedrooms and nursery, by simply opening windows. Change the filters in your air conditioning and heating units—and the bag in your vacuum cleaner—to greatly improve indoor air quality. Sanitize and cleanse air with help from indoor plants and air purifiers with approved HEPA filters. Look for low VOC paints and stains. Avoid synthetic carpets whenever possible.
4	Shop smart: Eat more organic and healthy foods. Organic foods are grown without potentially harmful, long-lasting synthetic chemicals. After extensive research, the EPA considers 60% of all herbicides, 90% of all fungicides and 30% of all insecticides as contributors to potential health risks.	Action: Eat organic fruits and vegetables when available. Make wise protein choices with meat, poultry, seafood, eggs and milk products from animals raised on vegetarian feed without hormones or antibiotics. Avoid foods high in sugar, high in fat, or highly processed, as well as fast foods.
5	Be wise with plastics. While plastic provides a good amount of affordable convenience, only recently have we discovered that the hidden cost may be our health. Plastics in certain applications have the potential to negatively affect health.	Action: Replace vinyl chew toys made of soft plastic, especially any labeled “V” or “3.” Opt for toys and books made with natural wood, cloth or metal. Avoid using plastic containers and cling wrap in the microwave. Instead select reusable containers like glass or ceramic (lead-free). Choose safer plastics, such as polyethylene (#1, #2, and #4) and polypropylene (#5). Avoid use of polycarbonate plastics for baby and look for products that state “no phthalates” or “no bisphenol A (BPA).”

GET UP, STAND UP
HERE, RUBINA SUWOL OF SHERMAN OAKS, CA, RELATES HOW SHE FOUGHT THE LAW—AND WON

“In March of 1998, I was dropping my sons off at their elementary school in Sherman Oaks, California, and noticed a man in a hazardous materials suit. He was spraying the grounds as children walked into the building. The mist was so dense that car windows had become coated. As they ran through the mist, my children cried out, 'It tastes terrible!' My youngest son Nicholas has asthma. I needed to identify the chemical used, in the event he had an asthma attack.

I contacted the school, but they had no idea what chemical had been used in the spraying. It was through the L.A. District Office that I learned the chemical applied was called Princep (Simazine), a toxic herbicide. Confirming my fears, Nicholas had a horrible asthma attack that same evening. Have you ever heard the sound of a child gasping for air? I assured Nicholas this would not happen again at his school. I made this promise knowing that there was no turning back.

My efforts to protect all children from school sprayings led me to Pesticide Watch, Action Now, Californians for Pesticide Reform and Healthy Child Healthy World. I discovered standard procedures in the LA District included spraying during school hours, applicators applying many times the required amount and mixing of pesticides, which could cause even more harm.

Through a united campaign of environmental groups and the LA District, a policy was written that is one of the most restrictive policies in the nation. It includes the Precautionary Principal: chemicals are used as a last resort and must be proven safe by the manufacturer and Integrated Pest Management (IPM), which eliminates using chemicals in schools that are known to cause cancer, hormonal and neurological disorders and genetic mutations. It also requires that parents are notified of pesticide spraying schedules and all schools are required to post application location, date and time.

One year later, we succeeded when the LA District (800,000 students) adopted this policy, which is being implemented with community supervision.”