ItfollowsLupiano's research indicating a possible link between the school and brain tumor cases among former students and staff, particularly from the years 1975 to 1995. Wisinski's wife and sister-in-law both died of brain tumors. All three were diagnosed with a brain tumor. 2023 www.mycentraljersey.com. A single New Jersey man has uncovered a medical mystery apparently linking 100 people diagnosed with rare cancers or tumors to a Woodbridge high school. "We're just going to wait to find out. Your effort and contribution in providing this feedback is much The environmental testing is expected to last a month. All three have been diagnosed with a brain tumor. Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. As his sisters health worsened, he said found 15 people who went to his high school, Colonia High School in Woodbridge Township, New Jersey, who also had primary brain tumors. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. "The nurses thought (she) was my sister-in-law because she was the one with the tumor. In 1999, Al Lupiano says he was diagnosed with an acoustic neuroma, a type of benign brain tumor that grows on a nerve that runs from the brain to the inner ear. "This is only the tip of the iceberg. His research was prompted after both his wife and sister, both Colonia High School graduates, were diagnosed with brain tumors on the same day in August 2021. Lupiano, who has a 30-year background in environmental science and safety engineering, never anticipatedthe list of cases growing so long. "It's alarming because there are just so many people with a tumor - malignant or benign, and it's serious. Updated Apr 17, 2022 at 4:10pm. medical mystery at a high school following dozens of diagnoses of brain tumors. More than 100 people from the same high school have been diagnosed with brain cancer and it is feared soil contaminated with uranium used in the first atomic bomb made them ill. We are one of an elite group of hospitals in the nation to be recognized as an Advanced Comprehensive Stroke Center. Jason Wisinksi lost his wife Janice 10 years ago to an inoperable brain tumor called Anaplastic Astrocytoma. Academic Achievement Awards, 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM Our fellowship-trained neurosurgeons and neurointerventional radiologists utilize these and other leading-edge technologies to provide expert care for the full range of neurosurgical conditions, from brain injuries and complex brain tumors to nerve compression and herniated disks. On Feb. 17, Angela died from Glioblastoma Multiforme or GBM. Every inch of Colonia High School, part of the Woodbridge Township School District, from buildings to fields, is being tested for radiation to determine if there is a link between the school and the number of cancer cases diagnosed amongst former students and staff. Both sisters were graduates of Colonia High School. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. Around the same time, Michele Lupiano was experiencing some hearing loss and balance problems. Black died in 2015, three years after her sister, when her cancer recurred. 6 Amazon travel essentials for your next getaway, starting at $12. By Thanksgiving, DeCillis' cognitive abilities deteriorated. She graduated from Tulane Law School in 2004 and passed the bar in New York, New Jersey, and California. "The last three months were just absolutely horrific.". Cheer March Parent Meeting, 1:04 PM - 1:34 PM The district is bounded on the north by the Orange / Los Angeles counties' line, on the east by San Bernardino and Riverside counties, on the west by Puente Avenue, and on the South by the City of Fullerton. But, according to the Change.org petition launched Tuesday, complete results aren't even anticipated to be received until the end of May. Lupiano, however,maintains more testing is needed to definitively prove there is nothing at the school linked to brain cancer. She was declining quickly, and my attention was elsewhere, Al Lupiano said. This is the disclaimer text. Learn more about our pain treatment services. The environmental testing is expected to last a month. Soon after, Janice Wisinski delivered their daughter Haylee, now 15, and a few weeks later had her surgery to try to remove her tumor but not until after experiencing 29 localized seizures. Your opinion matters! The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. 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. Pre-Schools & Private Schools. (The doctor) just looked at me and said, Ive been doing this a long time. But he narrowed his search criteria: He wanted to look for primary brain tumors, those that originate in the brain instead of resulting from another cancer, such as lung or breast cancer. Drill March Parent Meeting, 4:30 PM - 7:30 PM We were told we have to make a decision on when to have the baby versus when were supposed to have surgery to try to remove the tumor, he said. His wife and sister found out on the same day last August - two hours apart. BTF is using a new generation of Swoop portable MRI scanners developed by HyperFine. It hit home with my wife that (she) needed to see a doctor and see whats going on, Al Lupiano said. Obviously, everyone's praying and hoping for the best," said Colonia High School Junior, Julia Pagnozzi. The foundations work is part of a formal research study in partnership with Weill Cornell Medicine/NY-Presbyterian in New York. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. Eyewitness News has reached out to them, and are waiting to hear back. He made a public plea on Facebook to anyone from the school who was diagnosed with primary brain tumors. We have to really take a look at it," said Woodbridge Township Mayor John McCormac. Ms. Vercoski, a Middlesex County native, has a personal connection to the health outcomes of this type of rare brain tumor which has manifested in Colonia High School alumni and staff at unusually high rates. They learned of their tumors just eight days apart. "I had recalled two family friends, the Black sisters, had also passed of these brain tumors," Lupiano said. That's 100 people with their life forever changed, 100 families having to be told the terrible news, 100 stories of shock and disbelief with the diagnosis. Working closely with patients referring neurologists, our therapists use advanced rehabilitation tools and techniques to help patients optimize their movement and function. Other than that, we dont have any experience to link us together.. He investigated whether other people who grew up nearby had experienced brain tumors, too. McCune Law Group, (MLG) Partner Michele Vercoski is leading the investigation into the link between the diagnoses of a rare brain tumor and former Colonia High School students and staff. They didnt think for a second that it had anything to do with a brain tumor. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. Radon testing was conducted at the school and last monthlocal officials joined by state environmental and health officials announced no evidence of any cancer-causing hazards were found at the site that warrant further investigation. Part of investigating a possible cancer cluster is comparing the group in question to a similar group elsewhere, aka the control group, to determine if cancer is actually occurring at a higher rate. His wife Michele, a 1991 Colonia High School graduate, had a large acoustic neuroma on her left side, which is life-threatening if left untreated. They made sure she was OK, made sure the babys OK. It took a lot of computing power, but we may finally have a full picture of a humans brain development over the course of their life. If students and staff are being subjected to harmful environmental exposures at Colonia High School, swift and urgent action must be taken to protect the future health of the students and staff. She believes that every childs home, school, and town should be safe to grow up in and that no one should suffer due to circumstances outside of their control. While that may sound like a high number, determining if a group of cases constitute a cancer cluster can be difficult. Others told NJ.com they want a remote learning option until the investigation is complete. Facebook Colonia High School. Boys & Girls V/FS Track & Field Freeway League Tri-Meet, 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM All Rights Reserved. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. You can use this area for legal statements, copyright information, a mission statement, etc. I dont have any data that says anybody should be concerned right now, and if we had that, we would certainly take action immediately," McCormac said. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. More say the information flow is sorely lacking. A week later, the Lupianos were at a doctors appointment and mentioned Al Lupianos acoustic neuroma 20 years earlier. "If we can enrich science by showing that an unknown compound is in high concentration and link it to primary brain tumors, maybe we can protect others, remove it from our environment to make sure it never happens again," he said. A scientist and mother is demanding answers after tests she conducted found cancer-causing toxins and materials were present at the school where more than 100 former students have since been. After Jason Wisinki's wife and sister-in-law, who both attended Colonia High School, died from brain tumors, the 51-year-old from Hunterdon, New Jersey, who did not attend Colonia, contacted Lupiano through Facebook. All Rights Reserved. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". It struck Jason Wisinski that there was something unusual about their cases. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary (714-256-1311) has a campus located at 251 South Randolph Street in Brea. I said, Im going to go on Facebook and either find answers or make myself look foolish and put out what I found and open myself up to the ridicule of science.. Michele M. Vercoski, a partner of McCune Law Group, is investigating the potential link between the rare brain tumor and many former Colonia High School students out of the MLG's office in Newark, New Jersey. Gov. an annualized mean net cost of care approaching $150,000; and the highest annualized mean net costs for last-year-of-life care, relative to other cancers, at $135,000 to $210,000 (depending on age and sex) per patient. Football Junior High Strength Camp, 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM WOODBRIDGE - The township has approved an emergency contract of $221,350 for an engineering firm to conduct radiological assessments at Colonia High School, following a 1989 graduate's. Lupiano's sister, also a graduate of the high school, died recently from brain cancer. On March 7, he posted a page on social media looking for others from Colonia High School with brain tumors. I hope to God that they can find something. That conversation inspired Al Lupiano to do some research. Incoming Freshmen Registration (A-M), 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM We bring together more than a dozen specialties, life-saving research and a relentless commitment to advancing patient outcomes, giving our patients the very best opportunity to recover and heal. Its just like both of you being struck by lightning." Both sisters graduated from Colonia High School, just like Al Lupiano in 1989, his wife Michelle in 1991, and his sister, Angela Decillis in 1995. "We and our children deserve more! At the time, the medium lifespan for her type of tumor was 18 months. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". She had an inoperable high grade tumor called anaplastic astrocytoma.". McCormac says last Saturday, environmentalists placed random canisters inside the school to collect air samples. Our therapists offer the most advanced care available, helping individuals of all ages successfully recover from strokes, spinal cord injuries, brain injuries, amputations, vestibular and balance disorders, diabetic neuropathy and other medical conditions. Soon after Lupiano posted his page, Woodbridge Township Mayor John McCormac received phone calls about the group and reached out to Lupiano. Janice's sister Chery Black also died from brain cancer in 2015. You have to find out if its something thats going to affect my kids, Al Lupiano, 50, of Jamesburg, New Jersey, told TODAY. They thought it had to do with the pregnancy.They couldnt do an MRI on Janice Wisinski, so they did a CT scan and saw a mass on the left side of her brain. A cluster of over 100 rare brain tumors in the past 30 years sparks a health inspection at Colonia High School in New Jersey. That is, clusters of cancer can arise by chance," according to NCI. katherine noelle wyman; cape breton post obituaries 2022. location symbol text in word; list of female jockeys australia; mike conley house columbus ohio address When a former student at Colonia High School in Woodbridge, New Jersey, realized that he, his wife and his sister all had brain tumors, he wondered if something about their high school could have caused them. Her hands were shaking, like violently shaking, and my wife basically went into a grand mal seizure (which causes violent muscle contractions and loss of consciousness)," Wisinki TODAY. Suzanne Russell is a breaking news reporter for MyCentralJersey.com covering crime, courts and other mayhem. Janice was pregnant with her and Jason's only child. And its very possible they might not.. And with the list that grew by two people in just the last week, the results of recentradiation and radon testing at the school on East Street can't come soon enough. "My wife fought like crazy. Doctors thought it was benign at first, but the pathology results indicated otherwise, Al Lupiano recalled. Both sisters graduated from Colonia High School, just like Al Lupiano in 1989, his wife Michelle in 1991, and his sister, Angela Decillis in 1995. Through our specialized programs and neurological services, the St. Jude Neurosciences Institute provides compassionate patient-centered services, life-changing research, and a relentless commitment to advancing patient outcomes. Angela DeCellis and her husband, Matt, and their friend Andrea Hoffman. They learned of their tumors eight days apart. McCormac says last Saturday, environmentalists placed random canisters inside the school to collect air samples. Learn how to access Aeries, Chromebook support, and much more! Compassion, Dignity, Justice, Excellence, Integrity. In 1999, when he was just 27, Al. Chantee Lans has more. Its just extremely rare. All rights reserved. She made it five years," said Jason Wisinski. "The agencies acknowledged their concerns regarding the potential cancer cluster, but are not conducting any testing aside from radiation and radon that the Township undertook, even though the school remains open. After his sister's death in February, Lupiano became convinced of a link between the Colonia. Ultimately, if it isnt a radiation source that is causing these illnesses, Lupiano says other tests can be done to pinpoint a cause. But wed love to be able to rule out the school., Since March, Lupiano said he has found 107 people who attended or worked at the school who have primary brain tumors. Over 100 cases of brain tumors and other cancers have been discovered in former students of Colonia High School, constituting a cancer cluster according to Stanford's Dr. Paul Graham. CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. "My wife was awesome, and I think about her every day - I talk to her all the time," Wisinski said. Jason Wisinski is helping Al Lupiano find people with brain tumors connected to Colonia High School and said "my hope is they will whats causing these issues. She really started going downhill, Al Lupiano said. RECEIVE CITY NEWSGet the Brea Line Newsletter, City of Brea1 Civic Center CircleBrea, CA 92821Phone: 714-990-7600, 57/Lambert Interchange Improvement Project, Join the Energy Coalition With Smart Habits. It does not store any personal data. The Brea Olinda Unified School District operates six elementary schools, one junior high school, one high school, and one alternative high school.