Once in a while life throws you a curve and you find yourself dealing with issues you never thought of. That’s kind of what happened to us on that Friday in November when Kellie came home from school with burns to her face and eyes. These burns were caused by a broken non-self-extinguishing type "R" Metal Halide light bulb.  Little did we know then how our lives would change.

You must first understand that Kellie and I spent most of our free time outdoors. Whether it was fly fishing the Deschutes or Metolius, canoeing the Willamette near our home, walking along an ocean beach or just digging in the garden, we love living in Oregon and all the wonderful outdoor activities our state offers. In the year leading up to the accident Kellie completed the Portland Marathon and climbed to the top of Mt St. Helens. We enjoyed many drift boat trips together on the Deschutes and several hikes along a snowbound Metolius river. She’s become a pretty good fly caster in the 15 years we've been married and I think she even likes fly fishing as much as watching all the wildlife we encounter.

Of course those things are on hold now as we wait for her eyes to heal. She is suffering from photokeratitis, conjunctivitis and severe photo-phobia caused by ultraviolet burns to her corneas. What all that means is her eyes are in constant pain and she can’t be out in bright light. She is unable to drive at night as she has to wear very dark glasses and oncoming lights blind her causing excruciating pain. She still is managing to teach part-time, but that becomes harder as winter gives way to the brighter days of spring. Everyday brings new challenges, steps forward and setbacks. We are hopeful that one day we will again be able to enjoy the outdoors together. I do miss my fishing partner.

Over four years have now past since Kellie's eyes were burned and our lives have changed so much. She endured a six month medical leave in an attempt to promote healing in her eyes. There was little improvement. She was not allowed to leave our home and spent her days in reduced light. She is always upbeat and forever optimistic. She's worn out one treadmill and is working on the second one. She spent some time working with our State Senator's office to get these lights removed from Oregon's schools. SB 479 has now become law and we have protected Oregon's students and teachers with it's passing. I've personally testified before both the House and Senate committees for SB 479 and HB 2909, a bill to repeal the SOUR Law that prevents Oregonians from protecting themselves from dangerous products. We will continue to try to make something good come out of this terrible experience by working with groups in other states to enact laws banning the use of these lights in schools. 

The sole purpose of this web site is to get this issue in front of as many people as possible to prevent this type of accident from happening to anyone else. This is not the first or only incident, and I’m afraid not the last. There are safer alternatives to these types of lights. Self extinguishing bulbs and other safer lighting systems are available. Please take the time to check out all the information we have posted here and help get the word out.
 

Warmest Regards,

Joel  La Follette