Two families from Long Gove say their children are suffering from health problems for years. They believe that the reason is rooted in their children's general school.
Scarlett Starsiusky, 13, says she first noticed the symptoms when she was 12 years old.
“I will feel very dizzy and feel that the room was going on. I would go with this great headache,” said Scarlet NBC 5. The symptoms started while she was a student at Woodla Intermediate School.
“It was a little frightening, I don't know what was happening with my body because I have not experienced these symptoms before,” Scarlett explained.
Her parents say they have seen their daughter's condition deteriorating over time. Her father, John Striziuski, recalls, “In the end, there was for 45 minutes to an hour, and we only have to pick it up. So at that stage, we knew that we had to make other options,” she remembers her father, John Striziuski.
So Strezewskis set out for answers. When Scarlett and urine blood was analyzed, the laboratory's work showed that she was found that she was suffering from mold toxicity. The perpetrator: exposure to fungal toxins.
The World Health Organization says that fungal toxins are toxic compounds produced by certain molds that can cause health problems. Scarlett doctor wrote a letter stating that it is “necessary” that Scarlett be “excuse his physical presence in school.”
The educational area agreed to Scarlett to learn at home. Her father said that she was in home services for several months, and she got a teacher for one hour a day.
The Strezewski family requested to be transferred to another school. They told NBC Chicago that the operation took five months. Ultimately, transportation was rejected by the educational zone. “We were stunned by this result,” said John Starsiuski. In the end, they moved Scarlett to a private school. She says she is no longer suffering from symptoms.
Other family progress
Strezewskis learned that their daughter was not the only student at Woodlawn Intermediate School, who suffers from the toxicity of the mold.
Patrick says to me that his son, Isaac, has left the middle school Woodla. But while Isaac was there, he began to suffer from similar symptoms. Like Scarlett, Isaac has a positive test of fungal toxins.
Looking for answers
The Environmental Protection Agency does not have regulations or criteria for air levels or air -mobile pollutants. However, tests are available to analyze mold and fungal toxins.
Lee and Strezewski families have taken themselves to find a laboratory testing fungal toxins. They bought a test and collected samples from a ventilation opening at Woodla Intermediate School. John Striziosky said he wiped the amount of air vent in the school gym.
The test results found what the parents suspected to be correct. They showed high levels of fungal toxins in school. These are the same types of toxins found in blood and urine samples in Scarlett and Isaac.
NBC Chicago wanted to talk to the Kilder Conval Community School District 96 community about the test results. The educational area refused to speak with NBC Chicago on the camera, but we directed us to the results of its mold test. The evaluation found “mold growth is not a source of concern in these schools.”
NBC Chicago took the test results from school and from families to the American Academy of Clinical Poison. The organization explained that the educational area tests were intended for mold and did not seem to test fungal toxins. These are toxic substances that are believed to cause Scarlett and Isaac symptoms.
AACT also noticed: a sample collected by a person who does not have training to do this may lead to unreliable results.
A response from the educational zone
We have asked the Kilder Community School District 96 community if tested for fungal toxins, and if so, we can find these results. He did not respond directly to this question. Instead, send us a statement reads:
“We believe that these allegations are unfounded on the basis of comprehensive tests performed by internationally and recognized independent and recognized specialists, from the third -party parties after the methodology of sampling approved by the American Industrial Cleaning Society. As we mentioned in the past, we are committed to the environment, and the environment is greatly committed to the environment. Families, hear their concerns, and perpetuate the boycott resources to collect facts.
We are not allowed to discuss the special circumstances of any specific student due to the federal and state privacy laws, including the Family Educational Law and Privacy (FerPA) and the ISSRA students' student records law that protects the secret of student education records. The disclosure of any student information that can be recognized would violate these laws and equate the student's privacy. The boycott is committed to maintaining a safe and respectable environment for all students and families, ensuring that individual issues are dealt with appropriate and confidential.
As for transparency, we have conducted two independent environmental reports – both of whom were conducted through detailed assessments – are generally available. You will also find our general statement issued from September 2024, along with full environmental reports, please visit: https://www.kcsd96.org/finance/country-meadows-woodlawn-environmental. “
What next?
The educational zone says that the industrial health specialist and a third party will discuss their results during the Education Council meeting scheduled for April 1. It is expected that employee unions from the educational zone will speak at the meeting.
Meanwhile, the families of Strezewski and Lee hope to share their stories to change the change. “We are very hopeful that as a society, we can collect more of us and collect together and hope that the school will lead to doing the right thing, and it is in fact a deeper investigation in the air and we really see, as you know, what happens in all of this causes all of this,” Scarlett, Lindsay.
