March 22, 2000
To the United States Government
Testimony of Lloyd and Sherry Terry
RE: Senate Hearing on DOE Illnesses
My name is Lloyd Terry. I am a former employee of K-25 and worked as a Firefighter and EMT for five years. I have always loved firefighting and working as an EMT trying to help people. I was an avid hunter and fisherman. I was very family oriented, going places with and enjoying my kids and wife. I taught Sunday School. Shortly after I began working at K-25, my health began to deteriorate. It began with shoulder and neck pain, pain throughout my body, memory loss, sleep apnea, depression, diabetes, fibromyalgia, neuropathy, CFS and this is to name only a few of my many medical problems.
Working at “the plant” was an answered prayer. I didn’t realize that my prayer would eventually kill me. I have been exposed to many unknown toxins and chemicals without my knowledge. I should have been warned and allowed to make an informed decision about whether I wanted to expose myself to these chemicals. My life has been unfairly taken away from me because of DOE negligence and I believe our government should fight, investigate and do what is right for the ill workers.
There needs to be compensation of lost wages, future wages lost and continuous health insurance coverage as well as medical care and treatment for the affected people. I am asking on behalf of myself and all the others that have been made ill by simply performing their duties at their jobs.
You cannot give my life that you’ve so unfairly taken away back to me. But, you can do the right thing and change things for the people still working at the DOE facilities and stop the contamination. OPEN YOUR EYES and DON’T TURN YOUR BACKS, that’s been going on long enough! We have traveled many miles to hopefully see some changes and have hope again!
Please, HELP!
Sincerely,
Lloyd Terry
410 Old Edgemoor Lane
Powell, TN 37849
March 22, 2000
To the United States Government
RE: Senate Hearing on DOE Illnesses
My name is Whitney Terry and I am nine years old. I would like to tell you how sick my daddy is because he tried to do his job. He worked as a fireman and EMT at K-25 trying to protect and help people. My daddy used to have fun with us. Now he stays in bed all the tim, hurts all the time and he is grouchy to me and my little sister.
I wish you could PLEASE give my daddy back to me since you helped take him away from me. And, it was because he was only doing his job. There are many sick people that I know worked in the same place as my daddy. PLEASE, HELP THEM ALL! My parents always taught me to do what was right - how come us kids are supposed to do the right thing but our government doesn’t have to?
Sincerely,
Whitney Terry
410 Old Edgemoor Lane
Powell, TN 37849
March 22, 2000
To the United States Government
RE: Senate Hearing on DOE Illnesses
I would like to explain how our life has been destroyed. My husband is 42 years old and was a very healthy, active man when he started to work at K-25 in 1992 as a Firefighter and EMT. Since beginning work there, he has deteriorated -- vision loss, hearing loss, fibromyalgia, CFS, depression, hypogonadism, diabetes, neuropathy - just to name a few of his medical problems.
Our family used to be able to spend quality time together playing with our children, taking trips, teaching Sunday School and most of all, my husband used to SMILE! He is no longer able to be this person. My husband is in bed most of the time, takes strong pain medications to control his SEVERE pain, can’t remember where he is going if he drives, can’t exert himself at all because of such severe CFS, and is depressed most of the time. The damage that has been done to my husband and our family is inexcusable. He was only doing his job and wasn’t warned of any exposures and wasn’t provided protective apparel to help protect him in the event of exposures. The horrible thing is that this continues on a daily basis even today.
How can this go on? You are allowing people to die and you have control and won’t do anything. God created us all with some morals and ethics but some choose to ignore the morals that God instilled in us. I don’t know how you can sleep at night with this on your conscience. Many people will lose their lives because of this inexcusable negligence. You need to look into your heart and do what is right. There needs to be an investigation and ill and affected people need continuous medical care, compensation for lost and future wages and compensation for the loss of their lives (if you can compensate for killing someone).
Our children may not have a daddy for long. We will try to make the best of what time we do have. I just wish you could give him his health and life back - this would be the best compensation. But, you can’t do that, can you?
Sincerely,
Sherry Terry
410 Old Edgemoor Lane
Powell, TN 37849