Sudden rise in cancer cases blamed on cell tower near school
A fourth child has been diagnosed with cancer at an elementary school in San Joaquin County, California, and parents believe it’s because of radiation caused by a cell phone tower.
The towers are spread throughout the community, but parents are calling on this particular one to be removd since 4 students and 3 teachers at the school have developed cancer in the past three years.
“We had a doctor tell us that it’s 100 percent environmental, the kind of tumor that he has,” said Monica Ferrulli. Monica's son, Mason was the second child diagnosed with cancer at Weston Elementary. He was 10 years-old and walked by the cell phone tower daily.
Joe Prime's son, Kyle was the first of the children diagnosed with kidney cancer in 2016. "It's one of the hardest things that I've been through," he said. "It just seems like coincidence is no longer a reason for all this illness," Prime said.
They believe it's this cell phone tower that's harming their children.
"Kids shouldn't be guinea pigs and we shouldn't be taking chances with the children's lives," Prime added.
The district are refusing to remove the tower saying it meets the federal regulatory safety requirements. But some families weren't convinced and hired an expert.
"I wouldn't send my kids there at all, it absolutely is dangerous," said Eric Windheim, an electromagneetic radiation specialist, "Children are still developing. It's the worst possible time in their life to be exposed." He says it's not just a cell tower, it also transmits wireless frequencies.
"Instead of only going 300 yards like regular wi-fi, Y-Max can go 30 miles," he said.
Although parents want the mast removed, the district won't budge. Parents say that the district is paid $2000 a month to have the tower but so far the district has not commented.
“It’s a real disappointment that it’s taking moms of sick children and dads of sick children to come out and say something needs to be done,” Prime said.
Ferrulli’s son Mason has also since relapsed and is undergoing brain cancer treatments while a fourth child has recently been diagnosed and taken out of school.
They say it’s not just a battle now for their children, but a fight these parents say they won’t give up. “There’s a lot of kids that we love that still go to the school, so we are fighting for them,” Ferrulli said.
Several countries, including France, ban all cell towers and wi-fi from primary school premises because of concerns that children are especially vulnerable to the radiation.
Source: CBS Sacramento
