From: | CPEO Moderator <cpeo@cpeo.org> |
Date: | 27 May 2003 13:51:19 -0000 |
Reply: | cpeo-military |
Subject: | [CPEO-MEF] Passing On |
Arizona TUCSON WEEKLY Passing On Chronic beryllium disease takes the life of Rosa Maldonado. By Kari Redfield May 28, 2003 Rosa Maldonado, 56, died on May 7 due to complications of chronic beryllium disease. She is one of 31 former Brush Wellman employees diagnosed with the disease since the Tucson plant opened in 1980. CBD is caused by white cells accumulating around beryllium particles in the lungs, forming a chronic inflammatory reaction called granulomas. Exposure to fine particles of beryllium causes the incurable lung disease in 2 to 6 percent of all employees in industries that produce microscopic-sized beryllium dust particles, but in Tucson's Brush Wellman plant--in surveys done on old-time machinists--the percentage is much higher. Dr. Lee Newman, of the National Jewish Medical and Research Center in Denver--one of the leading medical experts on CBD in the United States--points out that development of CBD was as high as 20 percent among Tucson Brush Wellman machinists. Maldonado--profiled in "Something in the Air" on Feb. 13--worked in the Brush Wellman plant for six years. Maldonado's family calls her death a relief, in some ways. Her quality of life deteriorated to the point that she could barely leave her bed, much less the house. She required constant liquefied oxygen. She had to use a colostomy bag because part of her intestine had to be removed due to side effects from her medication. She had osteoarthritis, diabetes and was especially susceptible to sicknesses like pneumonia and bronchitis. Between Jan. 1 and April 17, her family says that paramedics were called to the house at least six times because her life was in danger. Her family was at her side when she was in the hospital those last weeks, as they were during previous hospitalizations. She steadily worsened and was transferred to the ICU on May 4. Finally, the doctor told the family they had to decide whether to put her life support or take her to the hospice. "It makes it look like we're the ones doing it to her," said Maldonado's daughter Tisha. Finally, the family was able to help Maldonado decide herself to go to the hospice. She passed away at 9:58 the morning of May 7. "Hopefully," said Tisha, "they (Brush Wellman) will have some kind of conscience, if they're human. They'll remember her and everything she went through." Brush Wellman does express sympathy. "We are deeply saddened by her death," said Human Resources Director Rob Napoles. "She had many friends when she worked here, and many of those friends continue to work here. We are all touched by her loss. At this time, our thoughts are with her family." Napoles also points out that Brush Ceramic Products remains committed to eradicating CBD from the workplace, and to that end, numerous safety measures have been implemented to further protect workers inside the plant, including enhanced ventilation systems and employer-mandated HEPA air filtering respirators worn by workers to prevent inhalation of beryllium powder. This article can be viewed at: http://www.tucsonweekly.com/tw/current/curr.html ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ | |
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