"A ten-month old baby is at the DeVos Children’s Hospital after a severe case of lead poisoning that was discovered last week in Grand Rapids, " according to FOX-17 reporter Carl Apple. The Healthy Homes Coalition worked with Carl to get this story out, hoping to alert the community to the fact that lead poisoning is still a very real and present danger in Grand Rapids.
The CareSource Foundation recently awarded $7,500 to the Healthy Homes Coalition of West Michigan to underwrite the cost of teaching parents how to check their homes for lead hazards. It is anticipated that more than 100 families will be able to benefit from this service.
Healthy Homes is working with homeowners to test more than 100 homes for radon during the national Radon Action Month. Radon is the second-leading cause of lung cancer after tobacco smoke. Its presence in homes can easily be detected through a simple test kit.
Cold Weather = Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
Cold Weather Brings Increased Risk of Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
GRAND RAPIDS - The recent cold front brings with it the increased danger of carbon monoxide poisoning as people start up their furnaces and seek ways to stay warm. Malfunctioning furnaces are the leading cause of non-fire related carbon monoxide exposure according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control. Winter and fall are the seasons when most carbon monoxide poisonings happen.
"Now is the time to make sure that your furnace gets its annual inspection and to make sure that your family is protected with a carbon monoxide detector," said Paul Haan, Executive Director of the Healthy Homes Coalition of West Michigan.
Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless gas that is the byproduct of incomplete combustion. It is the leading cause of unintentional death by poisoning in the United States. 450 Americans are killed by carbon monoxide each year, and more than 15,000 others are rushed to the emergency department with severe symptoms.
The Healthy Homes Coalition recommends regular preventive inspections of furnaces and other gas burning appliances to ensure they are working correctly. Healthy Homes also recommends that each home have at least one working carbon monoxide detector, and that the detector be installed in the hallway outside of the family's sleeping quarters.
Generators and automobiles are also common sources of carbon monoxide poisoning in west Michigan. Healthy Homes advises never warming up a car while it is parked inside the garage, even if the garage door is left open. Generators should never be used inside enclosed spaces like basements or garages.
To help keep families safe, the Healthy Homes Coalition was recently awarded a $26,284 FEMA grant to install carbon monoxide and smoke detectors for low-income families with children. Eligible families must reside in the cities of Grand Rapids, Kentwood or Wyoming, must have a full-time resident child 5 years of age or younger, and must be low-income. To request an alarm, call (616) 241-3300.
For more information, visit www.healthyhomescoalition.org/carbon-monoxide.
Click here for a PDF of this release.
Making sure children grow up in homes that are healthy and safe is everyone’s job! The Healthy Homes Coalition is a tax-exempt, 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Learn more about specific ways you can help protect children. Connect with us today!
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Special thanks to the Dyer-Ives Foundation for their generous support of this website. © 2006-2012 Healthy Homes Coalition.
