ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Stanford University Medical Center doctors gave Alex Lee a parting gift at the end of his heart operations earlier this year: surgeon's masks.
They knew Lee, 19, would be returning home to Fairbanks, Alaska, and gave him the masks to protect himself from air polluted with suspended particulate that can cause irregular heartbeat or a heart attack. Diagnosed with Down syndrome, Lee is not in position to take his doctors' stronger suggestion — moving away from his hometown air.
"They gave us a box of masks and said, 'Stay out of it the best you can," said his mother, Patrice Lee.
The young, the elderly and the weakened in Fairbanks risk accelerated health problems every winter because of particulate. Much of it comes from wood smoke produced by homeowners trying to cut their fuel bills. Municipal officials say natural gas is the long-term solution, but that is years away.
No comments:
Post a Comment