On the Wings of Prayers

On November 12, 2004, my life changed forever.  It wasn’t a car accident or disease; it was a light bulb.  I simply went to work one day attending a teacher in-service training in the gymnasium at Bryant Elementary School in Lake Oswego.  Unbeknownst to any of us there at the time myself and several of my colleagues were seated directly underneath a broken Type “R” metal halide light. These lights are commonly used to illuminate school gyms, box warehouse stores, convention centers, airplane hangars, barns, and other large spaces. The environmental studies that followed said we exceeded a full 24-hour UV radiation exposure every 8 minutes while in the gym.  We were there approximately 5.5 hours giving us an UV exposure equal to 41 consecutive days.

  The radiation burns were to our eyes and any exposed skin including hands, faces, and necks. The following two years consisted of 24-hour pain and extreme light sensitivity. There have been well over a hundred doctor appointments, days and nights of having my eyes taped shut, punctal plugs, albumin treatments, and countless regimes of eye drops.  Any activity that required me to go outside meant dark sunglasses, a black visor, and a black umbrella. 

  Having exhausted all other options in November of 2006 my doctor removed me from school and confined me to our home for six months with the hopes that limiting light exposure might aid in healing.  I felt as if I was walking to my own funeral as I said good-bye to the children in my class and walked out of the school that day with my husband literally holding me up.  I was allowed out of the house once a month for an hour to go to the eye doctor and then returned straight back home. We hung brown parcel paper over windows to limit light.  Our Christmas tree had to be unplugged.  I was no longer allowed to go to church, but was blessed by being able to listen to the sermons on line. My small group graciously changed locations to our house so that I could continue to study and pray with them.  I’m convinced that one can only survive these living conditions with faith in a God that is so much bigger than any current circumstances, prayer, and the help of friends and family.

  In April of 2007 AP Press wrote a story about the danger of these lights and our accident that was picked up by 108 news agencies worldwide.  We received a phone call from a Christian woman who had read the article in Arizona.  She shared that her son had radiation burns to one of his eyes from cancer treatment.  He was able to get relief at the Boston Foundation for Sight.  This was something that my husband Joel had uncovered and we had looked at the summer before, but at the time we were still hopeful that I would heal.  The same woman and her son followed up a few days later with an offer to combine their airline miles to help get me to Boston.  It is important to keep in mind that these are people I have never met. Little did I know, the miracles were just beginning.

  After reviewing this treatment option with my doctor and the doctors  at the Boston Foundation for Sight we decided to walk forward in faith.  This was our last hope.  The looming alternative was a permanent disability.  The doctor’s in Boston were quite clear they had never treated this type of radiation exposure before, but had been successful on 3-4 other attempts with different sources of radiation.  The other step of faith was financial.  SAIF (Oregon’s  Worker’s Comp.) hadn't decided if they would pay or not.  We put everything on our credit card.

  While preparing to head to Boston we were surrounded in love and support.  We had six offers of people willing to give their frequent flyer miles to help get me there.  This included parents of children that I had taught in the past, but hadn’t had their child in my classroom for two years.  A special friend that was unemployed sent me a check for $20 and said, “Have lunch on me in Boston.”  Another friend stopped by the day before I left with $200 in cash to cover the taxi ride to and from Logan Airport and the hotel.  One parent knew I had been running on a treadmill and lost a few inches.  Without being asked, she went shopping and brought  me  clothes of various sizes and said pick what you want, I will buy one outfit, you can pay me for anything on top of that, and I will return the rest. My bags were packed with a bible, a happy face card from a very special student, scriptures from a friend, and hope.  I was beginning to get the feeling that I wouldn’t need an airplane to get to Boston.  I felt as if I could literally get there on the wings of prayer that were lifting me up.

  After an initial assessment in Boston the doctors fitted me with a trial pair of sclera lenses.  These are oversized hard contact lenses filled with 25-30 drops of solution that creates a liquid bandage over the cornea.  During the course of the next thirty minutes they gradually raised the level of the lights in the room until finally reaching normal.  I could tolerate the light for the first time in 2.5 years.  I cried, the doctors cried, and even some of the staff cried with us.  We were all keenly aware that we were right in the heart of a miracle as it was happening.  I knew at that moment that much of my life was going to return to me. The entire time that I was at the Boston Foundation for Sight I felt as if angels were outside circling the building.

  The rest of the week was full or emotional highs and lows at the team of doctors worked to create a custom fit pair of lenses for me.  It also included training in insertion, care, and removal of the lenses.  I have never felt more surrounded in prayer in my life than during that week in Boston.

  The prosthetic lenses are not a cure, but like other prosthetic devices allow me to gain much of my life back.  I am hopeful about returning to my teaching career at the end of August.  On June 11 ,2007 Governor  Kulongoski signed Senate Bill 479 into law banning type R metal halide lights from Oregon schools.

   At this time four of my colleagues continue to suffer debilitating pain and light sensitivity from their eye burns.  Additionally, one of them has had to have surgery for a Clark’s level 3 malignant melanoma on her cheek which her doctor believes is related to our accident.  Please continue to pray for their healing and opportunity to be treated at Boston.  I can assure you that your prayers have been an integral part of the miracle.  Never think for a moment that a prayer doesn’t matter.  I am humbled and grateful to have travelled on the wings of your prayers.  Thank-you for being part of my miracle.  I’m so grateful!

Kellie

Is Your Child’s Gym Safe?

  While it is hard to think back to the day of being burned, at the same time I am reminded of it with nearly every blink of my eyes.  On November 12, 2004, I was burned by a metal halide light during a teacher in-service training in a local school gymnasium.  I have been a classroom teacher for over 23 years and at the time it was a danger that I didn’t even know existed. There are common dangers that we are all aware of, especially when it comes to children.  Parents work to teach children to safely cross the street, ride a bike, and practice safety in the home. As a teacher, I teach lessons at school on fire safety, earthquake safety, stranger safety, Halloween safety and so on.  Now it is time to share one more lesson of safety.

  Gymnasiums and warehouses are often equipped with metal halide lights.  A metal halide light for these buildings can be purchased two ways.  The first way, which costs a bit more, is the “T” type bulb.  It will self-extinguish within 15 minutes if there is a crack or a break in outer protective UV lens.  The second way to purchase this bulb, which is slightly less expensive, is the “R” type bulb.  This bulb will stay burning and emitting UV radiation if the outer protective lens is broken.  Needless to say, I sat under the “R” type metal halide bulb which had the protective lens broken from a wayward volleyball and suffered burns to my eyes, face, neck, and hands.

  I have two messages.  Number one check your child’s school to find out what type of light is used in their gymnasium.  If they are using “R” type bulbs please ask them to change to the safer “T” type bulbs.  You are welcome to forward this website www.uvlightburns.com to help clarify your concern or develop awareness.  The second message is that if you are in a school gym and something doesn’t feel right, get out!  My first awareness was just a vague sense that something was wrong in the room.  Later my eyes began to burn.  Some of my colleagues reported thinking they were developing a fever, which actually was a UV burn.

  We make efforts to protect ourselves from dangers everyday by wearing seatbelts, putting children in safety seats, and using hot pads to remove dishes from the oven.  Please take just a few more minutes to make sure you and your family are safe from this little known danger.  My hope and prayer is that no one, especially a child, will ever have to go through the pain and life altering effects of having UV radiation burns from being in a school gym.  I would like to thank-you in advance for partnering with us to make the world just a littler safer one gym at a time.  We look forward to hearing your success stories at getting the bulbs in your local school changed.  Please share your stories with us at UVlightburns@comcast.net.