One former student, Al Lupiano, 50, was diagnosed with brain tumors in the 1990s but subsequently recovered, according to NJ.com. The conversation is available below. The same day my sister was diagnosed (August 2021), I received the devastating news my wife Michele (nee Zawada) also has a very large (3.0 cm), very rare brain tumor called an Acoustic Neuroma (aka Vestibular Schwannoma) on her left side. He added that the Environmental Protection Agency has gotten involved in the investigation. His wife was diagnosed with an acoustic neuroma, which is a benign brain tumor and is the exact same brain tumor that Al Lupiano himself was diagnosed with 22 years ago. Would they just end it at that?. As of Thursday, Lupiano said he has confirmed 65 cases of people with rare brain tumors and they all are either Colonia High School graduates or had worked there, he says. Matthew Stanmyre | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, found no traces of radiological contaminants. Today, he still suffers lingering effects. "And if we do find something, we're going to deal with the consequences.". An alumnus of Colonia High School in Woodbridege, N.J. is investigating his former high school, claiming he has counted 115 people who attended or worked there to have had a rare brain. At the time, medium lifespan for her type of tumor was 18 months. The school was built in 1967 and currently serves roughly 1,300 students, the NY Post noted. As a scientist, I want to find answers. Lupiano, his wife and his sister all Colonia High grads were all diagnosed with rare brain tumors. Scott Faytok | For NJ Advance Media. "I went on Facebook on March 7, and I asked for the people on Facebook to help me find others. A comprehensive investigation of soil, indoor air, and groundwater shall be conducted to determine if children and staff are exposed to unhealthy levels of toxins other than already identified PCBs and pesticides., In his letter to the parents in the school district, Massimino wrote: Nothing in the newly reported information has any bearing on the prior studies which determined last spring that no radiation was found inside or outside of Colonia High School. Alumni links 65 rare brain tumor cases to NJ high school, investigation launched. My list quickly started multiplyingit all seemed to be linked back to the high school. Colonia High School graduateAl Lupiano talks to @KatyTurNBC about gathering names of over 80 individuals with rare brain tumors who attended the school. Dating back decades, newly detailed reports of more than 100 cases of brain tumors among former students and staff at Colonia High School in Woodbridge have raised obvious concerns. An investigation into the possible link between Colonia High School and cancer found no radiological hazards that warranted further investigation. His name is on it, along with his wife and late sister. Rohit Ranjan. How did this incident come to light in the first place? Dr. Gracelyn Santos | [email protected]. He told WABC that he lost his wife Janice to an inoperable brain tumor 10 years ago and that her sister Cheryl died from brain cancer in 2015. At the time of the CBS interview in late March, Lupiano claimed to have confirmed 65 cases of rare brain tumors, all affecting people who either attended or worked at Colonia High School. Dr. Joseph Massimino, superintendent of Woodbridge Township School District has commented that they are waiting for more details and formulating next steps, in coordination with New Jersey environmental agencies. And today we now stand at 117 individuals with primary brain tumors, and another 70 with very rare cancers.". ', * Download the abc7NY app for breaking news alerts, AccuWeather: AM showers before a mild afternoon, Extra Time: Breaking down massive NYC, NYPD settlement, Teammate facing charges in crash that killed local UGA player. Some are incredibly aggressive forms of cancer that need very aggressive forms of treatment. They were diagnosed on the same day last summer. The soil also tested positive for excessive levels of chlordane, heptachlor and heptachlor epoxide all pesticides, the report said. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Print |. The township announced results of an investigation. Lupiano has found nearly 200 people with links to Colonia High School who have brain tumors or other rare cancers. McCormac says last Saturday, environmentalists placed random canisters inside the school to collect air samples. In 1999, when he was just 27, Al. A total of 104 former students and faculty with brain tumors responded to a Facebook post. Copyright 2023 WLS-TV. Over 1,300 cases have been reported of people getting sick after eating the Lucky Charms cereal. What steps are investigators taking to try to figure this out? Please consider subscribing to NJ.com. Its not air. An alumnus of Colonia High School in Woodbridege, N.J. is investigating his former high school, claiming he has counted 115 people who attended or worked there to have had a rare brain tumor, according to CBS News. After nearly 100 people who attended the same New Jersey high school developed rare brain tumors, an alumnus and cancer survivor is demanding answers. It's not contaminated water. It's not air. Lupiano has confirmed that he will not stop until he finds out what has happened here over the years at Colonia High School. Its not contaminated water. 100 former students, staff of Colonia High School in New Jersey say they have rare brain tumors. Sign up for Patch emails: https://patch.com/subscribe Contact this Patch reporter: [email protected], this resolution approved at their April 5 meeting, Brain Tumor Link To Colonia High School 'Credible,' Town's Mayor Says. The New Jersey state Department of Health. His wife. Three of the victims are Al Lupiano, his wife Michelle, and his sister Angele Decillis. Lupiano's sister, Angela, died on February 17 from Glioblastoma Multiforme or GBM. That's a huge number for such a small region. If you are an alumni or staff member of Colonia High School and have developed a brain tumor, contact MLG today! Lupiano, his wife Michele (CHS Class of 1991) and his sister Angela (CHS Class of 1995) were all diagnosed with rare, similar sized brain tumors on the left side. Lupiano's quest for information took him to Facebook last month, and that list of people who went to or worked at Colonia High School - and have a primary brain tumor - is now closing in on 100 cases. The environmental assessment study at Colonia High School was recently completed, in response to allegations that suggested the school had radiological hazards that contributed to diagnoses. Almost 100 people from the very same New Jersey high school have all developed brain tumors. Radiology, Allied Health, Radiologic Technologist, Neurophysiology. After some digging, a man who attended Colonia High School in Woodbridge, New Jersey, discovered more than 100 former students and staff members had been diagnosed with the same sort of brain tumor diagnosed in his wife, his sister and himself. "I started doing some research and the three became five, the five became seven, the seven became 15," said Lupiano. Doctor/Physician. Nsikan runs the health and science desk at WNYC/Gothamist. While generally only life threatening if left untreated, radiation and surgical removal typically leaves individuals with numerous debilitations including chronic headaches, balance issues, fatigue, deafness, slurred speech, inability to blink, and facial paralysis (to name only a few), and that assumes it doesnt begin to regrow in the future. Over 122 people connected to Colonia High School were found to have brain tumors. pic.twitter.com/mL9bVg9nE4, Katy Tur Reports (@KatyOnMSNBC) April 1, 2022, A majority of the graduates and staff members suffering from the condition were at the school between 1975 and 2000, but some students went through the school as recently as 2014, the NY Post continued. How many people do we mean here? The results will then be reviewed by federal agencies including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Environmental Protection Agency, plus the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and the Department of Health. Were all concerned, and we all want to get to the bottom of this. Janice was pregnant with her and Jason's only child. A man investigating his former high school in New Jersey says he has counted 115 people who attended or worked there have had a rare brain tumor. This is the preliminary step that they're taking to see if they can find anything. ", "Just the sheer numbers of cases he's found is staggering," McCormac continued. 100 former NJ high school students . Lupiano, an environmental scientist and industrial engineer, picked up on a trend. All three have been diagnosed with a brain tumor. Since March . All rights reserved (About Us). United States Department of Environmental Protection. Gothamist is a website about New York City news, arts, events and food, brought to you by New York Public Radio. Al Lupiano, a graduate of the high school, believes there's a link between Colonia High School and brain tumors diagnosed in 108 people over a period of three decades, ending in the early 2000s. His sister succumbed to brain cancer. I started doing some research and the three became five, the five became seven, the seven became 15, he told CBS News York of the list, which now totals 115 people who had either malignant or benign tumors. More than 100 people who graduated from Colonia High School have developed brain cancer. We contacted the author of the post, former student and former resident Al Lupiano, and offered to help, McCormac said. Lupiano became focused as to why all three of them had contracted these rare brain tumors. The Anti-Defamation League said the phrase at the center of the question was popularized as a trolling campaign by members of 4chan a notorious anonymous message board and was adopted by . My MIL died of lung cancer. ", First Patch report: Brain Tumor Link To Colonia High School 'Credible,' Town's Mayor Says, Get great local news about YOUR town and state. (RELATED: Video Shows Man Repeatedly Running Over Woman With SUV After Minor Incident). Hill: Brain tumors, relative to other types of cancer, are typically rare but can be very lethal. In presenting her findings, Komorek urged the district to share her findings with the state Department of Environmental Protection and the federal Environmental Protection Agency. Theyve placed canisters inside the school. The testing was prompted after township officials learned of various social media posts related to several instances of brain tumors and brain cancer among students and faculty of CHS from approximately 1975-99. The school campus is just under 12 miles from the Middlesex Sampling Plant, which was used to crush, cry, store, package and ship uranium ore during the development of the atomic bomb under direction from the Manhattan Project, the outlet continued. Sneak Peek At Woodbridge Mayor's Mailer Urging 'Yes' Vote On March 14, Woodbridge Woman Writes Her 2nd Fiction Novel, Critically Praised, Perth Amboy Outerbridge Crossing Crash Blocks Lane Tuesday: DOT, NJ Camp Fairs at Menlo Park Mall Mar 4, 2023 - FREE to Attend (12-3PM), 2023 Spring Garden Tea Party Gift Auction, Raisin, The Tony-Winning Best Musical - Second Incredible Week, Johns Crazy Socks Enters the Wholesale Channel so Retail Stores Can Sell Our Socks, Protect Your Home from Ticks with Yard Guard from Viking Pest, The Doobie Brothers Play In New Brunswick July 8,9, Highest NJ Property Taxes: See Where Your Town Ranks On New List, Person Shot During Police Encounter At South Jersey Rest Stop: AG. The ground and air testing will begin on Saturday. Ninety-four former staff members and students from Colonia High School in Woodbridge, New Jersey, have developed an extremely rare form of malignant brain tumor, leading local officials to approve an emergency probe of the school Tuesday. They learned of their tumors eight days apart. That is the question residents are hoping to answer in the Colonia section of Woodbridge. At the time, the medium lifespan for her type of tumor was 18 months. And there are many different forms of these cancers. His wife and sister found out on the same day last August - two hours apart. She also requested the district embark on additional environmental testing. The environmental assessment study at Colonia High School was recently completed, in response to allegations that suggested the school had radiological hazards that contributed to diagnoses of brain tumors, cancers, and other central nervous disorders in former students and staff members. He was diagnosed 20 years ago. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. This is definitely not normal.. Thats what makes the numbers staggering, says Lupiano. Radiological assessments will be conducted throughout the schools 28-acre campus, as well as indoor radon testing, this coming Easter weekend, the New York Post reported. The reports have been brought to the attention of local officials who are now looking into them. Exterior shots of Colonia High School in Colonia, NJ on Thursday, April 7, 2022. Is it a cancer cluster or a coincidence? Last year, Lupianos wife and sister also developed brain tumors, as first reported byCBS New York. They are testing the grounds outside and inside of the high school inside. That is the conclusion federal, state, county and township officials concluded after weeks of radiological testing inside and outside of school grounds in April and May. "It's alarming because there are just so many people with a tumor - malignant or benign, and it's serious. His wife Michelle graduated in 1991. Lupiano was diagnosed with glioblastoma (brain cancer) when he was 27 years old, about 25 years ago. No one knows why. As the school remains open during the investigation, some students are concerned. What treatments are available for the afflicted? Environmental scientist Al Lupiano tells NBC4 New . "That's something that we take very seriously. Early testing at the Woodbridge school by a consultant for the . All rights reserved (About Us). Ninety-four former staff members and students from Colonia High School in Woodbridge, New Jersey, have developed an "extremely" rare form of malignant brain tumor, leading local officials to approve an emergency probe of the school Tuesday. Eating the Lucky Charms cereal the reports have been reported of people getting sick after the. 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