Teenagers in LeRoy, New York, have become stricken with an illness that has not been entirely explained. A doctor is calling it a “conversion disorder”, but the teens, and their parents, do not feel that this is correct. Environmental activist Erin Brockovich is now investigating the situation.
There is something seriously strange happening in LeRoy, New York. Teenagers are getting seriously sick, without having anything in their medical history that would explain the sudden onset of their illness. The parents of the teens, and the teens themselves, are very upset, and demanding more answers about what, exactly, happened.
Thera Sanchez used to be healthy. She attended Le Roy Junior – Senior High School, and was a cheerleader and an art student. In October of 2011, she took a nap. When she woke up, she started having uncontrollable body movements, tics, and verbal outbursts (that were similar to symptoms of Tourette’s syndrome).
Thera, and her mother, Melisa Phillips, appeared on the TODAY show. They were there with Katie Krautwurts, and her mother, Elizabeth Miller. Katie had also started experiencing the symptoms that Thera was suffering from. Both girls attended LeRoy High School. The parents, and their daughters, are angry because they feel that doctors are not doing enough to discover what is causing the mystery illness.
Chelsey Dumars, is another teenager who attended Le Roy High School. She, like Thera and Katie, used to be healthy. On October 31, 2011, she started stuttering while she was at school. The stuttering got worse. She started twitching. The symptoms were bad enough for her father to have to come and pick her up from school.
Chelsey, like the other teens, is suffering from uncontrollable tics and verbal outbursts. At the time that I am writing this blog, at total of fifteen teens are suffering from this unknown illness. One of the teens is male.
Eleven of the teens have been treated at DENT Neurologic Institute in Amherst, New York. Dr. Lazlo Mechtler, who is treating some of the teens, says that the diagnosis is “conversion disorder”. In other words, the teens are suffering from mass hysteria. He says that they have a psychological disorder that is induced by stress, and recommends that the teens receive psychiatric treatment.
LeRoy Junior – Senior High School released a statement that said that “medical and environmental investigations have not uncovered any evidence that would link the neurological symptoms to anything in the environment or of an infectious nature.” It also passed an indoor-air-quality report and a mold report.
Erin Brockovich is now investigating this situation. In 1999, a report by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said that one ton of cyanide crystals spilled to the ground during a train derailment that happened in 1970.
At the same time, 35,000 gallons of an industrial solvent called trichloroethene was spilled, and absorbed into the ground. This happened three miles away from the school. Brockovich has been sent around 100 emails from this community, asking for her help.
Image by Bev Sykes on Flickr