My family moved into a 263-year-old home in New Hampshire. I took my son, a toddler, to a routine doctor’s appointment where he got his blood lead level tested. To my surprise, he tested positive for lead poisoning. I had no idea that lead was such a big issue in our state. From there, our lives were uprooted. Not only was my son’s health at stake, but it felt like our entire livelihood was at stake. I wasn’t prepared for the disruption it would cause. It took over a year, thousands of dollars, countless visits with the EPA and DCF, and more to finally get our son’s lead levels to drop.
To add to the serious health effects, my son’s lead poisoning caused us tremendous stress and almost left us homeless. Our home had dangerously high levels of lead and we did everything we could to remedy the situation. New Hampshire needs to do more to prevent childhood lead exposure. Senate Bills 399 and 392 take steps in doing this by increasing access to lead testing and increasing funds for lead remediation efforts, respectively. I am asking legislators to support SB 399 and SB 392. Please, I am counting on you to protect children like mine and families like mine. No one else should have to go through what my family has gone through.
Stephy L Richards
Charlestown