Is Colonia High School the cause of primary brain tumors in former students and staff from 1975 to 1995? The reports he got back were startling, and he saw patterns emerging. "They are working with the Township to review the test findings and prepare a course of action if necessary.". The cause hasn't been discovered yet, but some researchers suspect . 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. Environmental scientist Al Lupiano is among 94 former students and staff from Colonia High School in Woodbridge, New Jersey, who have been diagnosed with rare brain tumors. "I had recalled two family friends, the Black sisters, had also passed of these brain tumors," Lupiano said. I pray we find answers. All three have been diagnosed with a brain tumor. Federal agencies are also assisting in the investigation. Concerns were raised by Al Lupiano, a 1989 graduate of Colonia High School, who was diagnosed with a brain tumor along with his wife Michele and sister Angela DeCillis, both of whom had also attended the school. Lupiano became focused as to why all three of them had contracted these rare brain tumors. Here are the details: The lists below show 4-year graduation rates for New Jersey public schools for the 2020-21 school year. Just simple math in my head having a husband and wife with this tumor, which arent related and then to have my sister with a blastoma, I knew something was wrong, Lupiano says. He holds a doctorate in pathobiology from Columbia University and is an alum of the science communication program at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Unfortunately, hers was terminal, and she died in February. Robert Miller The investigation was jumpstarted after it was discovered more 122 people once connected to. I will uncover the truth," Lupiano said to NJ.com. Three of the victims are Al Lupiano, his wife Michelle, and his sister Angele Decillis. As per this resolution approved at their April 5 meeting, the Woodbridge town Council hired T & M Associates and Cabrera Services, Inc. to do the radon testing (officially called "environmental engineering services for radiological assessment") at the high school. A cluster of over 100 rare brain tumors in the past 30 years sparks a health inspection at Colonia High School in New Jersey. "I am beyond pleased to announce that after an extensive field investigation that included assessing the classrooms, school building materials, and the entire 28 acres of the Colonia High School campus, no radiological hazards were identified that warrant further investigation," he wrote in a letter to families. When it didnt happen, Komorek who earned a joint degree in environmental science from Rutgers and New Jersey Institute of Technology and specializes in air, ground water and soil contamination took matters into her own hands. "We're just going to wait to find out. "100as of midnight Sunday 4/10, I recorded the 100th case of someone having a primary brain tumor," Lupiano wrote on Facebook last Monday, April 11. Al Lupiano has found 107 people with primary brain tumors who all attended or worked at Colonia High School. After discovering 94 former students and staff from Colonia High School which was built in 1967 had been diagnosed with rare brain tumors, Dr. Joseph Massimino, superintendent of . Its not air. ", ALSO READ | Onlookers urged police to charge into TX school: 'Go in there! 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. Colonia High School is now the. All rights reserved (About Us). His wife Michelle graduated in 1991. COLONIA, N.J. - Radiation tests are being done at Colonia High School in New Jersey after more than 100 people were diagnosed with rare brain tumors. Is it a cancer cluster or a coincidence? "It's certainly concerning because the rate of primary brain tumors is certainly higher than what we would expect in the general population," said Dr. Arif Kamal, Chief Patient Officer at the American Cancer Society. Please consider subscribing to NJ.com. Al Lupiano, a Colonia High School graduate is on a mission to answer that question after discovering more than 80 fe. Woodbridge Township is paying T&M Associates $221,350 to do the radon testing. He is presently working with local officials to address the situation. WOODBRIDGE TWP., New Jersey -- Al Lupiano graduated from Colonia High School in Woodbridge Township, New Jersey in 1989. 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. His wife. Matthew Stanmyre may be reached at mstanmyre@njadvancemedia.com. These tumors are even more rare occurring in 10 out of 1,000,000 individuals.. For her part, Komorek said she took it upon herself to do the independent testing for my own peace of mind, to sleep at night, and for my girls to remain at the school., I was hoping it was going to come back negative, she added. Environmental scientist Al Lupiano tells NBC4 New . Job specializations: Healthcare. Lupiano says that most of the people on his list were at the high school prior to 1997. It motivated Lupiano to create a Facebook group to determine if there were more Colonia High School alumni had developed brain tumors or other conditions. All Rights Reserved. Fortunately one of the survivors is an environmentalscientist Al Lupiano, who is bringing attention to this and he is relentlessly looking for answers. No one knows why. The school was built in 1967 and currently serves roughly 1,300 students, the NY Post noted. Social media has played a big role in shining the light of truth on this situation. Are you a Colonia High School graduate that has been diagnosed with a brain tumor? Is it a cancer cluster or just a coincidence? She loves a good music pun and wakes up very very early. Through his posts, Lupiano, CHS Class of 1989, wanted to find out if CHS is the cause of primary brain tumors that have affected more than 100 former students and staff. "I had told my sister from the very beginning that there was too much of a coincidence that me, my wife and her all have the same tumor," he said. Advertisement. utah778/Getty Work began on . Woodbridge Mayor John McCormac immediately and responsibly got engaged. Lupianos 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. Some are incredibly aggressive forms of cancer that need very aggressive forms of treatment. WOODBRIDGE, NJ Air quality testing is being done at Colonia High School this week, while the Woodbridge school district is closed for spring break. She said she collected a dust sample from the top of the stall in a womens bathroom inside Colonia on Aug. 30, then sent it to a state-certified laboratory in Mountainside for testing. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. So, would you take us through what is known so far about this cluster? The statewide graduation rate fell slightly, from 91% in 2019-20 to 90.6%. An investigation has been launched after more than 100 people who attended a high. Thats what makes the numbers staggering, says Lupiano. He says that the evidence that Lupiano has collected is a cause for concern, which is why the city will pay for emergency testing at the school this weekend. Earlier this year, Colonia graduate Al Lupiano, also an environmental scientist, discovered more than 100 teachers and alums of the school who reported having brain tumors, drawing international attention to the community and sparking state and local investigations. 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. More than 100 people who graduated from Colonia High School have developed brain cancer. She made it five years," said Jason Wisinski. ET: The spelling of Michele DeCillis has been corrected. Two hours later, we received information that my wife also had a primary brain tumor, Lupiano said. All rights reserved (About Us). However, I still think we need to expedite the next phase of testing including water, soil, and air, to determine if more than one contaminant is present, he said. "I went on Facebook on March 7, and I asked for the people on Facebook to help me find others. Print |. Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2023. The brain tumor cases, appearing over a thirty-year period, are a significant medical mystery that has caused alarm for experts. The incident rate for GBM is approximately 30 out of 1,000,000 people. This is the preliminary step that they're taking to see if they can find anything. My MIL died of lung 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. She also requested the district embark on additional environmental testing. Image: Unsplash. He has contacted: Mayor McCormac confirmed these details yesterday to PEOPLE Magazine. They all attended or worked at Colonia High School most of them during the years of 1972 to 2000. "I started doing some research and the three became five, the five became seven, the seven became 15," said Lupiano. He said in 40 years of neurology, he had never heard of a married couple that both had the same type of primary brain tumor. His sister succumbed to brain cancer. The testers are specifically testing for radon levels in the air after 1989 Colonia High School grad Al Lupiano proposed this theory that he found an unusually high number of brain. In a mysterious story, a man from New Jersey named Al Lupiano found out that 100 people with uncommon cancers were linked to Woodbridge Township School District, Colonia High School. Stanmyre: Right now, the number this week is up to 117 people who have been found to have a primary brain tumor of some sorts, according to data from Al Lupiano, who is the Colonia graduate who has kind of spearheaded all of this. Kamal added that there needs to be a full investigation to understand if these cancers are linked, and if there's a specific cause. Three weeks later, Komorek collected a caulk sample from a northern exterior wall of the school and sent it to another state-certified lab in Fairfield. 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. All three were diagnosed with a brain tumor. The institute predicts about 290,000 people will develop breast cancer in 2022 compared to 25,000 for brain cancer. After nearly 100 people who attended the same New Jersey high school developed rare brain tumors, an alumnus and cancer survivor is demanding answers. Mayor McCormac says the Environmental Protection Agency is now involved. Earlier this spring . Is the school built on some kind of a dumpsite? 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. Lupiano has found nearly 200 people with links to Colonia High School who have brain tumors or other rare cancers. We will continue to keep you informed as we develop a plan of action based on the advice of our experts.. A video posted on TikTok video by Dr. Joe Whittington, a board-certified doctor in California gave this issue much needed public attention. The conversation is available below. By Sean Adams, WCBS Newsradio 880. ", "Just the sheer numbers of cases he's found is staggering," McCormac continued. Facebook Colonia High School A cluster of brain tumors and cancer in people associated with a single New Jersey high school is causing concern. The investigation started earlier this year after a stunning number of cancer cases in people who had a connection to the school. Some of these are non-cancerous, yet very debilitating forms of brain tumor. "When I started looking into it, I quickly amassed 15 of our classmates with these rare brain tumors," he told NewsNation. Photo credit Google Street View. Im optimistic that when all is said and done, we will have a definitive link of what caused this to happen to all of us and Im hopeful that we can take that knowledge and prevent it from ever happening again.. Since March . Early testing at the Woodbridge school by a consultant for the . It's not air. We contacted the author of the post, former student and former resident Al Lupiano, and offered to help, McCormac said. He received his . "I started doing some research and the three became five, the five became seven, the seven became 15," Lupiano said. 2023 New York Public Radio. All of the cases have ties to Colonia High School, either as students or employees. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. "I had told my sister from the very beginning that there was too much of a coincidence that me, my wife and her all have the same tumor," Lupiano said. "Given the ongoing environmental investigation and testing, it is premature to comment on any link and/or causation of cancer diagnosis that may or may not be related to Colonia High School," said Woodbridge town spokesman Hagerty. The city of Woodbridge, NJ is conducting an investigation after more than 100 former students and staff at the local Colonia High School were found to have developed brain . Woodbridge will not get preliminary test results until after this Saturday, April 23, said Hagerty. 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. Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily. Lupiano was diagnosed with glioblastoma (brain cancer) when he was 27 years old, about 25 years ago. Lupiano also lost his younger sister to the disease in February at the age of 44, the outlet continued. Woodbridge Mayor John McCormick lives just a few blocks from the high school. The community is absolutely unnerved and absolutely terrified by what's going on here. "We're going to test and hope we find nothing," McCormac previously said. 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. What would you do if you went to the doctor, you arent feeling well, asked Matthew DeCillis, whose wife, Angela, died from a brain tumor in February. A New Jersey town is planning to conduct environmental testing at Colonia High School after a resident discovered dozens of people connected to the school had developed rare brain tumors. When he started digging and looking for a link, the common link was Colonia High School. She also cautioned that additional toxins could be present at the school because she described her initial testing as very limited, meaning it did not include taking air samples or probing deep into the soil or groundwater. The probe was the result of concerns about a possible brain tumor cluster linked to graduates and staff from Colonia High, a school of about 1,300 students in Middlesex County. Everyone Practices Cancel Culture | Opinion, Deplatforming Free Speech is Dangerous | Opinion. BSN or must obtain within 3 years. The Daily Caller | 1775 Eye Street NW | Suite 1150-290 | Washington, DC 20006, (RELATED: Video Shows Man Repeatedly Running Over Woman With SUV After Minor Incident). katherine noelle wyman; cape breton post obituaries 2022. location symbol text in word; list of female jockeys australia; mike conley house columbus ohio address Lupianos wife was also diagnosed with a brain tumor, the NY Post reported. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. A A. Lupiano, an environmental scientist, began researching the matter and reaching out to people on Facebook who had attended the school and been diagnosed with primary brain tumors. Scott Faytok | For NJ Advance Media. 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. This is when a low-level radioactive rock was found and removed from the school grounds. Accordingly, no further testing or remediation is required or recommended at this time. ", "We are taking this incredibly seriously," Woodbridge Mayor John McCormac told Patch earlier this April, saying that he finds Lupiano's theory "quite credible and legitimate. Listed on 2023-03-02. Woodbridge Township has contracted environmental engineering firm T&M Associates to carry out radiation tests at Colonia High School to investigate a possible link between the school and the reported brain tumors, according to New York news outlet WABC. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. Colonia High School is now the subject of radiation detecting research. Whittington believes that the Colonia High School students and staff have developed glioblastoma multiforme, a fast-growing and aggressive brain tumor that invades the nearby brain tissue. Concerns were raised by Al Lupiano, a 1989 graduate of Colonia High School, who was diagnosed with a brain tumor along with his wife Michele and sister Angela DeCillis, both of whom had. Lupiano's sister passed away in February, 2022 at the young age of 44. Lupiano told CBS News New York that"Fast forward to August of last year My sister received the news she had a primary brain tumor, herself. Al Lupiano, an environmental scientist and a 1989 graduate of the N.J. high school began investigating Colonia High School in Woodbridge when he realized many others with ties to the school suffered the rare brain tumors, just like he did, 20 years ago. If you were affected or have a tumor or rare cancer, I need your assistance," his Facebook post read. I made a promise to my sister while she was dying that if something did this to us, I will find out what did it, Lupiano says. Komorek presented her findings Monday to Woodbridge superintendent Joseph Massimino, Colonia principal Kenneth Pace and Woodbridge Education Association president Brian Geoffroy. Most of them during the years of 1972 to 2000, said Matthew Stanmyre with NJ Advance Media, who broke the news. Since . As a scientist, I want to find answers. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. Theres no telling if they're going to find answers here. Township, New Jersey us through what is known so far about this cluster lists below show graduation! Diagnosed with glioblastoma ( brain cancer ) when he started digging and looking for a link, NY! 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