We all know the story of Erin Brockovich, right?
She is the whistle-blower turned activist who helped shine the light on a major case of water contamination that was making her local community extremely sick.
But how many of you have heard of Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha?
You may not know her name, but trust us, you and almost everyone you know have heard of the ramifications of her courageous actions.
Sure, everyone calls Dr. Mona a hero today, but only a few years ago, so many people, especially those in power, were calling her a crazy “alarmist” who was “causing an unnecessary panic.”
But just like Erin Brockovich (and Fred Kummerow), Dr. Mona didn’t give up, and today, tens of thousands of families are safer thanks to her tenacity.
Stay tuned, Try This readers, because Dr. Mona’s story will leave you inspired but also remind you why it’s so important to bring truth to power and proactively go out of your way to protect your and your family’s health.
Let’s jump in!
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A Silent Killer on the Loose
In the summer of 2015, Dr. Mona was having a glass of wine with an old high school friend when her friend, Elin, brought up a shocking concern.
Elin, who was an engineer and certified water operator, told Mona that the local water utility in town had completely dropped the ball on how they were filtering water.
The municipality was missing a critical process in making sure the water was safe, especially for kids, and that process was called corrosion control. Worst of all, they skipped this step to cut costs and save money.
Without that key step, it was guaranteed that there were going to be high amounts of lead in the water supply—levels of lead that would cause a massive drop in IQ in children and lead to a whole host of chronic health issues for kids and adults.
Dr. Mona knew that the local water municipality had changed their water source from the Great Lakes to a local river. Sure, the local government had some concerns about bacterial buildup, but she saw a press release that it was all cleaned up. The local officials all said the water was safe; could it really be this bad?
And if it really was that bad, Dr. Mona knew the ramifications would be catastrophic!
Why Is Lead So Damn Toxic?
Lead is a toxic heavy metal that’s often found in paint, children’s toys, cosmetics, plumbing, and water.
In adults, lead exposure can contribute to neurological issues and even cardiovascular problems like high blood pressure.
But what’s even more frightening is the effects of lead on children, who are particularly susceptible to its insidious harm. In children, lead can cause irritability, encephalopathy, learning disabilities, anemia, seizures, headaches, aggression, speech challenges, and memory loss.
And get this: high lead exposure in kids is even associated with crime! WTF!
Worst of all, unfortunately, at a certain point, the effects are irreversible. Once the damage is done, there’s no going back.
This is why many children under the age of one are tested for lead poisoning around the country—because its effects are that damaging.
Conspiracies and Cover-Ups?
After hearing the word “lead” come out of her friend’s mouth, Dr. Mona knew she had to do something ASAP!
She immediately went on the hunt to find as much data as possible. Because lead exposure in kids is asymptomatic, Dr. Mona tried to get access to any and all medical records that she could from the state on the levels of lead in children.
If there had been an increase of lead in the water supply, surely that would have shown up in the blood work of children. All Dr. Mona needed to do was get access to those records!
But at every turn and every request, state and local authorities repeatedly denied her access!
What the hell was going on? How could the powers-that-be be preventing her from trying to protect the health of children?
When Dr. Mona finally got access to some records she was shocked!
Not only were lead levels in children up significantly, but many people in power knew they had been elevated for some time!
When Dr. Mona expressed her concerns and presented her data to government officials, she was met with pushback and told she was causing “near hysteria”.
They were literally gaslighting her, trying to make her think she was the crazy one!
Dr. Mona did not back down. When the governor and others misconstrued her data and tried to downplay her findings, she fought back with science, hard evidence, and speaking up to whoever would listen.
After receiving nationwide attention, the local government conceded and finally admitted fault.
There was indeed a major conspiracy and cover-up attempt, and Dr. Mona was the one who figured it out!
And that, my friends, is how the entire world came to know the town name of Flint, Michigan, and the Flint water crisis.
10,000+ Flints across America
Sure, Dr. Mona uncovered the conspiracy of toxic water in Flint, Michigan, but she’s the first to admit that the problem is so much bigger than Flint.
In fact, Erin Brockovich went on record to say that in America alone, there are an estimated 10,000+ communities exposed to a polluted and contaminated water supply.
Even more shocking is that the Natural Resources Defense Council estimates that 56 percent of the US population drinks from a water system that has detectable levels of lead.
But lead isn’t the only problem.
Heavy metals like mercury and arsenic, as well as phthalates, BPA, and PFAs (also known as “forever chemicals”), wreak havoc on our water supply. These toxins have been shown to severely impact our immunity and even things like our cholesterol, thyroid, reproductive organs, and more.
I once heard someone say, “Either you have a filter or you become the filter!” Our bodies were not meant to filter out these dangerous chemicals, which is why the first step in protecting your health is filtering your water ASAP.
Recommendations: I’ve recommended AquaTru Carafe and the Zero Water Filter Pitcher in the past, but there are plenty of fantastic options out there.
Be Like Dr. Mona and Erin Brockovich
The work of doctors like Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha and activists like Erin Brockovich shows what happens when concerned and informed citizens stand up for our health and bring truth to power.
Although the water crisis has not been solved, we’ve made a lot of progress due to the activism of these heroes. I’m confident that with more awareness and more people speaking out, more and more people will have access to clean water and be exposed to fewer toxins.
We can’t live in a bubble, and that wouldn’t be fun anyway, but with education and awareness, we can do our best to protect ourselves and our families.
Here’s to your health,
Dhru Purohit
P.S.: To hear Dr. Mona’s story in detail check out this interview she did with Terry Gross on NPR.
P.P.S.: If you want to know more about protecting your body from toxins, check out this interview with Dr. Yvonne Burkart, who discusses this very subject in detail.
P.P.P.S: Speaking of heroes like Dr. Mona, a friend of mine recently created a documentary called Hero. If you’re ready to be inspired by four incredible stories and start your own hero’s journey, sign up to watch it for free starting today till 11-17-23.