Contaminated Camp Lejeune Water Can Poison People Quickly

When we talk about or when you hear about the people sickened by the contaminated water at Camp Lejeune, it seems like these are just ambiguous, unknown people, with diseases that come from a medical journal. It is often easy to forget that the people made ill by the contaminated water at Camp Lejeune are real people, who have suffered very real, and catastrophic illnesses.

Soldier’s Body Deteriorates

Every now and again, a news article highlights the typical veteran sickened by the water. Such is the case with a recent article that highlighted the very real plight of one former veteran stationed at the camp.

The article tells of a veteran who spent six years at Camp Lejeune as a service member, up until 1983. The man was, by all accounts, and like so many soldiers, strong, muscular and healthy. He camped, did construction work and enjoyed outdoor activities. Notably he had no cancer in his family background or history.

What is shocking about the man’s story, is how quickly cancer took over his body. In just eight years, the man’s knees stopped working, he went partially blind, had gastrointestinal pain, and developed a large nodule in his neck, which was eventually determined to be cancerous.

Camp Lejeune is the Cause

Puzzled by this quick deterioration in what was otherwise a healthy lifestyle, the man only realized what was going on when he saw an ad on TV, which was telling people about the poisoned water at Camp Lejeune, and suddenly, it all made sense.

The man’s voice today is hardly understandable, because of the damage radiation has done to his vocal chords. At one time 220 pounds, he is now down to 130 pounds. He relies on protein drinks for sustenance which he must take through a portal in his abdomen, because he can no longer eat or swallow. All told, he takes 19 different medicines every day.

His troubles may not be over; on top of the cancer, doctors think he may also have Parkinson’s disease, which is another disease on the government’s list of illnesses that are likely caused by exposure to the toxins at Camp Lejeune.

Like so many veterans, he is deteriorating quickly, while the government drags its feet settling cases.

How It All Happened

The contamination at Camp Lejeune came originally from toxins that seeped into the water supply, toxins that came from nearby dry cleaners. At the time, it wasn’t known that these toxins could infect the water supply. But even when it was known, the government hid facts about it, or denied that it was dangerous.

As of last year, veterans or anybody who worked at the camp from 1953-1987, who may have been sickened because of exposure to toxic water at the camp can bring a lawsuit against the government—even if the time period to bring the lawsuit would have otherwise expired.

Call the Tennessee Camp Lejeune Justice Act lawyers at Fox Farley Willis & Burnette, PLLC, today if you feel you may have been made ill because of exposure to toxins in the water at Camp Lejeune.

Sources:

keloland.com/top-stories/camp-lejeune-contamination-leaves-south-dakota-marines-with-cancer-and-resentment/

atsdr.cdc.gov/sites/lejeune/index.html