Oregon Woman on Campaign Against Radon

Oregon Woman on Campaign Against Radon

When Darcy White was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2009, everyone assumed she must have been a smoker. But she wasn’t. The real source of her lung cancer was radon poisoning due to prolonged exposure to high levels of radon in both Portland, Oregon homes in which she grew up. Now, she is on a mission to help people understand the dangers of radon exposure.

When White’s doctor first gave her the diagnosis and told her that he believed radon exposure was the cause, she had never even heard of radon. Even though radon is the leading cause of lung cancer for non-smokers in the U.S., White is not alone in her unfamiliarity. Naturally occurring gas is easy to miss because it is odorless, colorless, and tasteless, and many homeowners are unknowingly exposed to dangerous levels for years.

With the help of White, awareness is being raised in the Portland, OR area to keep others from contracting lung cancer because of radon exposure. White is campaigning to help other people understand the odorless, colorless risk that can be right inside their homes, and is working to challenge the assumption that lung cancer can only be caused by smoking.

“I want to change the face of lung cancer,” she told the Lake Oswego Review.

White has led several fundraisers to raise money for lung cancer research and educational programs on the health risks of radon. While she has now fought lung cancer twice and lost her mother to the same disease, her message is a strong one: radon-related lung cancer is preventable. All that is needed is radon testing to discover whether your home has dangerously high levels of radon, and the installation of a radon mitigation system if high levels are found.

To schedule a radon mitigation test and ensure that your home is healthy and safe, contact your local Oregon radon dealer here.