teresajuan0: Who Is Our March Mom on a Mission?

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Angie Nordstrum has endured more than most moms can take. After learning she was pregnant on the heels of a cancer diagnosis, Angie became a mom and battled thyroid cancer in short order; soon after, her son was diagnosed with life-threatening allergies. But Angie Nordstrum is a fighter, and after learning that hydraulic fracturing—also known as “fracking”—threatened her son’s school and the health of her community, she fought back. That’s when she became a mom on a mission.

by Angie Nordstrum, Healthy Child Healthy World Mom on a Mission Finalist

In 2011, I became aware that the Encana Corporation planned to drill eight natural gas wells less than 600 yards from a childcare center, a middle school and two local elementary schools—one of which my then seven-year-old son attended.

I quickly learned that hydraulic fracturing, also known as fracking, is a drilling practice that employs the use of known carcinogens such as benzene, toluene, ethyl benzene and xylene, to extract natural gas from the ground.

Exposure to these chemicals can lead to neurological problems, birth defects, and cancer, as well as bloody noses, asthma, gastrointestinal distress, diarrhea, dizziness, migraines, nerve pain and skin rashes.

These health risks are especially dangerous to children. And, given my family’s story, I just cannot allow one more threat to harm my child.

Pregnant—With Cancer

Eight years ago, I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. Two weeks after receiving that terrifying news, I learned that I was pregnant. We made adjustments to my treatment to be sure I would have a healthy child: My cancer surgery was postponed until the second trimester, and I held off on radiation treatments until after my son was nine months old so I could nurse him and give him the healthiest start possible.

The Most Allergic Child in the World?

It felt like we had just gotten the cancer treatments behind us when my son was diagnosed with severe allergies. Blood tests revealed that my son was allergic to more than 30 foods and could safely eat only 10. Our doctors were shocked—they told us our son could be “one of the most allergic children in the world.”

From that point, the situation only got worse. His body was covered in eczema. He lost weight, dropping from the 98th to the fifth percentile for his age. One dog lick could leave him covered in hives. Playing in grass or sand treated with pesticides resulted in chemical burns; inhaling chemicals from consumer products brought on severe respiratory reactions.

My son could not enter a grocery store, let alone attend preschool. He could not eat any pre-packaged foods; we had to prepare everything from scratch. My husband and I stayed within 10 minutes of a hospital and always had at least two Epi-pens ready in case of a reaction.

Boy in a Bubble

With little options, our family created a safe “bubble” for our son in our home. The kitchen was cleared of allergens; chemically formulated soaps, shampoos, detergents were swapped out for safer alternatives. Guests were asked to make sure their clothing was free of animal hair and they had no synthetic perfumes on their skin, hair or clothes.

I did everything I could to protect him.

And I became an advocate for my son. In 2007, I co-founded Boulder Allergy Kids with another food allergy mom to train local schools and their nurses on how to safely accommodate children with food allergies, and to educate students on how they can help a friend with food allergies be safe at school. We created a Food Allergy Work Group for our school district and created district-wide Food Allergy Guidelines, and are members of a nationally recognized Food Allergy Advisory Council. Our goal is to show families how to keep on living life to the fullest, despite their food limitations.

Thankfully, around age five, my son started getting better. His skin improved and food allergy sensitivities started to lessen. He entered first grade at our neighborhood school, and we started reclaiming our lives.

Fighting Fracking

Unbelievably, we soon learned that Encana had targeted the open field next to my son’s playground for fracking. I was incensed! After all we had been through, there was no way I could stand by and watch as his environment was poisoned.

Together with a small group of local women who are also passionate about protecting their kids, I co-founded Erie Rising. I learned that the state of Colorado is one of the most heavily drilled in the country. Encana alone has 325 producing wells in Erie; neighboring Weld County, which has more than 18,000 oil and gas wells (the most in the state) is the subject of the documentary, “Gasland.”

At Erie Rising, I learned of similarities between my son’s allergies and those of other children in my community, as well as disturbing reports of health problems experienced by adults: For example, within six months from 2007 to 2008, five people on our block had surgeries to remove their gall bladders.

Nine days after forming Erie Rising, we brought together more than 100 people at the town board meeting to share concerns with our elected officials, as well as representatives from the oil and gas industry. It was the largest board meeting in our town’s history and the first time many of our officials had heard about the problem—and how important it was for the community to find solutions.

Today, Erie Rising is a grassroots, mom-powered organization, dedicated to protecting our children, our environment and our community—which extends beyond Colorado to a group of concerned citizens nationwide.

A New Mission

I believe that moms have the power and wisdom to protect our children and change the world. I felt that innate connectivity with all other mothers the day my son was born. The power of love is a force to be reckoned with. As we come together, our strength multiplies and empowers us to create positive change.

All children have the right to breathe clean air, drink clean water and live in a safe environment. We have to work together to protect them.

A new mission has begun.

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