Lupiano was diagnosed with glioblastoma (brain cancer) when he was 27 years old, about 25 years ago. Exterior shots of Colonia High School in Colonia, NJ on Thursday, April 7, 2022. They learned of their tumors eight days apart. 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. NEW JERSEY - A New Jersey man has uncovered a medical mystery apparently linking more than 100 people . Is the school built on some kind of a dumpsite? By pairing specialists and experts in the field of cancer with robust resources, facilities, and technologies, Hackensack Meridian Cancer Care is committed to getting patients back to the life they love. Over 1,300 cases have been reported of people getting sick after eating the Lucky Charms cereal. If you were affected or have a tumor or rare cancer, I need your assistance," his Facebook post read. ET: The spelling of Michele DeCillis has been corrected. Some are incredibly aggressive forms of cancer that need very aggressive forms of treatment. He made a public plea on Facebook to anyone from the school who was diagnosed with primary brain tumors. Environmental scientists are investigating reports of increased instances of brain tumors at Colonia High School in New Jersey. McCormac says last Saturday, environmentalists placed random canisters inside the school to collect air samples. An alumnus of Colonia High School in Woodbridege, N.J. is investigating his former high school, claiming he has counted 115 people who attended or worked there to have had a rare brain tumor, according to CBS News. "My wife was awesome, and I think about her every day, I talk to her all the time," Wisinski said. Lupiano, his wife and his sister all Colonia High grads were all diagnosed with rare brain tumors. Woodbridge Mayor John McCormick lives just a few blocks from the high school. Lupiano, an environmental scientist and industrial engineer, believed it was a pattern. 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 . The investigation started earlier this year after a stunning number of cancer cases in people who had a connection to the school. At the time, medium lifespan for her type of tumor was 18 months. I know so many people who have ailments and cancer specifically who lived near there. The action (should) be undertaken immediately, due to high exceedances of the State and Federal regulatory standards for PCBs and pesticides, as well as the fact that PCBs and chlordane inhalation may be occurring by students and staff, Komorek stated in a letter to district officials. 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. Find NJ.com on Faceboo. "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. 100 former students, staff of Colonia High School in New Jersey say they have rare brain tumors. She made it five years.". There's a lot of speculation running rampant about what could be causing this, but to date, there has been nothing found. 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. At that time, I only had 15 people on the list, and I decided after grieving for a few weeksit was time now to go public and ask people to help me.. Additionally, T&M Associates has begun conducting historic site research to obtain any and all necessary records related to the construction of Colonia High School when it was built in 1967, through to the present. $4 Million Settlement Mass Torts $203 Million Class Action Financial Services $75 Million Class Action Mass Torts $200 Million Class Action Middlesex County's Colonia High School, located in Woodbridge, has made national headlines in recent weeks after over 100 former students and faculty were found to have been diagnosed with. But I want to be careful to say that it's very early in the investigation. While generally only life threatening if left untreated, radiation and surgical removal typically leaves individuals with numerous debilitations including chronic headaches, balance issues, fatigue, deafness, slurred speech, inability to blink, and facial paralysis (to name only a few), and that assumes it doesnt begin to regrow in the future. How did this incident come to light in the first place? He said he is specifically looking for anyone who graduated from or attend Colonia High School from approximately 1975 to 1995. His wife graduated in 1991. I didnt feel that my kids were safe there until actual soil, groundwater and air samples were collected and nobody wanted to do it.. 2023 New York Public Radio. Last year, Lupianos wife and sister also developed brain tumors, as first reported byCBS New York. Theyve placed canisters inside the school. Stanmyre joined WNYC's Morning Edition host Michael Hill to explain the latest on these cases and what the investigation could entail. Such odds help to explain the public surprise after NJ Advance Media reported in early April that New Jerseyans living in the neighboring communities of Woodbridge and Colonia have developed various forms of brain tumors. 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. 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. Lupiano was diagnosed with a rare and abnormally large brain tumour Acoustic Neuroma (AN) in 1999 when he was just 27 years old. They may need to excavate soil underneath the school. Qualifications: Current and valid New Jersey Registered Nurse license is required. Mar 30, 2022 The Wanted's Tom Parker Dies at 33 After Brain Tumor Battle Al Lupiano, a graduate of the high school, believes there's a link between Colonia High School and brain. Lupiano, an environmental scientist and industrial engineer, picked up on a trend. His name is on it, along with his wife and late sister. 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. New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, New Jersey Department of Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli, Lawrence Township League of Women Voters announces 2022 leadership award winners, No criminal charges for Hillsborough police officer in 2021 fatal shooting, Vigil marks one-year anniversary of Ukrainian War. The sample came back indicating PCBs at concentration of 4.3 ug/wipe (or 100 cm2), indicating that PCBs may be present in indoor air, according to a report compiled by Komorek and obtained by NJ Advance Media. Lupiano grew up in Woodbridge Township and he now works as an environmental scientist; he no longer lives in Woodbridge. (RELATED: Video Shows Man Repeatedly Running Over Woman With SUV After Minor Incident). WOODBRIDGE TWP., New Jersey -- Al Lupiano graduated from Colonia High School in Woodbridge Township, New Jersey in 1989. Alumni links 65 rare brain tumor cases to NJ high school, investigation launched. Lupiano has confirmed that he will not stop until he finds out what has happened here over the years at Colonia High School. National Cancer Institutes list of 27 common afflictions. As a scientist, I want to find answers. Thanks to social media, Lupiano found a total of 104 former students and faculty with brain tumors - about half are cancerous. 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. That is what Al Lupiano, Colonia High School (CHS) Class of 1989, wants to find out after . So that has already begun. Superintendent Joseph Massiminio the district worked with representatives from the state Department of Environmental Protection, the state Department of Health, the federal Environmental Protection Agency, Center for Disease Control, and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry to discuss the matter, and that national firms T&M Associates and Cabrera Services were tasked with collecting data and conducting the necessary tests. Lupiano said the rarity of the brain tumors raised concerns of the neurologist they shared since they all grew up in relatively the same neighborhood. "My wife fought like crazy. Theyre testing the air for radon. As a concerned uncle and community member, I pray we find nothing, Lupiano says. Lupiano says that most of the people on his list were at the high school prior to 1997. Colonia High School was reportedly the common denominator among those suffering from the tumors Credit: CBS NEW YORK Al Lupiano, speaking to CBS2, said the rare brain tumors were discovered in people who attended Colonia High School. The couple's neurologist was baffled. Lupiano started researching. ABC7 New York 24/7 Eyewitness News Stream, Onlookers urged police to charge into TX school: 'Go in there! You can find glioblastoma, which are terminal. 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. Donate today, Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations. I pray we find answers. Woodbridge will not get preliminary test results until after this Saturday, April 23, said Hagerty. Robert Miller The investigation was jumpstarted after it was discovered more 122 people once connected to. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. Sign up for Patch emails: https://patch.com/subscribe Contact this Patch reporter: [email protected], this resolution approved at their April 5 meeting, Brain Tumor Link To Colonia High School 'Credible,' Town's Mayor Says. His wife and sister found out on the same day last August - two hours apart. Hill: Brain tumors, relative to other types of cancer, are typically rare but can be very lethal. Youre 98.6, youre fine, go home. It has been lightly edited for clarity. Jason Wisinksi lost his wife Janice 10 years ago to an inoperable brain tumor called Anaplastic Astrocytoma. A soil sample taken from near the northern wall of the school similarly indicated PCBs concentration of 575 mg/kg, exceeding the New Jersey Soil Remediation Standard. On the National Cancer Institutes list of 27 common afflictions, tumors in the brain and nervous system rank 19th in terms of case rate but 5th-lowest in terms of the chances of survival. COLONIA, New Jersey (WABC) -- An investigation into the possible link between a Central New Jersey school and cases of brain cancer found no radiological hazards that warranted further investigation, the district superintendent said Thursday. "In conclusion, the results of the radiological investigation at the high school and grounds are within the normal variation of background radiation levels in New Jersey and are therefore not indicative of concern over radiological exposure to individuals at the site," state DEP Commisioner Shawn LaTourette wrote in a letter to the township. A high school in Woodbridge Township, New Jersey, is being investigated by environmental experts after reports of more than 100 former students and staff being diagnosed with brain tumors. Unfortunately, that didnt happen.. Al Lupiano has found 107 people with primary brain tumors who all attended or worked at Colonia High School. She made it five years," said Jason Wisinski. We have to really take a look at it," said Woodbridge Township Mayor John McCormac. Both sisters were graduates of Colonia High School. McCormac, along with schools Superintendent Joseph Massimino; Shawn LaTourette, commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection; and Judith Persichilli, commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Health, announced the results of the radiation testing during a press conference at CHS on May 26. Primary brain tumors are tumors that originate in the brain, as opposed to secondary tumors which start somewhere else and then spread to the brain. Lupiano, his wife Michele (CHS Class of 1991) and his sister Angela (CHS Class of 1995) were all diagnosed with rare, similar sized brain tumors on the left side. "It is also important to note that the data compiled and posted to social media by Mr. Lupiano has yet to be evaluated and verified by any federal, state, county or municipal agency with competent jurisdiction to fully vet and verify his research. The community is absolutely unnerved and absolutely terrified by what's going on here. The soil also tested positive for excessive levels of chlordane, heptachlor and heptachlor epoxide all pesticides, the report said. "That's something that we take very seriously. Lupiano has confirmed that he will not stop until he finds out what has happened here over the years at Colonia High School. Were all concerned, and we all want to get to the bottom of this. Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily. He added that the Environmental Protection Agency has gotten involved in the investigation. It's just that rare. Listing for: Select Medical Corporation. 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. The same day my sister was diagnosed (August 2021), I received the devastating news my wife Michele (nee Zawada) also has a very large (3.0 cm), very rare brain tumor called an Acoustic Neuroma (aka Vestibular Schwannoma) on her left side. I will uncover the truth," Lupiano said to NJ.com. Federal agencies are also assisting in the investigation. I had stage 4 cancer. Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2023. Also, just on Monday Gov. WWE Star Sonya Deville Arrested In Atlantic City On Gun Charge, Atlantic City Official & Council Candidate Facing Assault Charge, Former Press of Atlantic City Office Building To Get New Purpose, Atlantic City Area Residents Share Favorite Childhood Memories, Atlantic City, NJ Mayor Leading Free Resident Credit Repair Effort, Atlantic City, NJ Area Great Hurricane Of 1944 (AMAZING PHOTOS), Atlantic Citys Chris Ford Proved That Nice Guys Finish First, NJ Author Discusses What We Can Do to Address Bullying in Schools. 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. Angela has four daughters who have or will go to Colonia High School. Lupiano also lost his younger sister to the disease in February at the age of 44, the outlet continued. The conversation is available below. 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