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School nurses report that children are suffering from allergies, asthma,respiratory problems as well as stress related illnesses such as headaches andgastritis. The health and well-being of the children have been a concern forparents and teachers alike, but thanks to projects such as Vitamin Relief USA,that concern is being met with action. Vitamin Relief is now providing theBay St. Louis-Waveland School Districts with on-going supplies of high qualitychildren's chewable multi-vitamins for all its students.
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Bay St. Louis-Waveland school district officials were able to open schoolsagain last year, though all classes are now held in metal trailers. Many ofthe families who attend the schools are still busy rebuilding their lives aswell as their bodies. 60-70% of the families still find themselves living inFEMA trailers. It is of the utmost importance that the children living inthese conditions receive nutritional support to help strengthen their immunesystems so their bodies can fight off harmful mold, bacteria and viruses intheir environment and handle the stress of their difficult lives. As many ofthese trailers and living conditions are not equipped for hot foodpreparation, home cooked meals for most of these children are non-existent.For many children, malnourishment is a serious problem.
"Vitamin Relief USA is spearheading this free vitamin program to providethese children with the nutritional support they need. The fallout frommalnutrition is not only evident in the daily life of a malnourished child, italso negatively impacts their entire family. Malnourished children feel sick,anxious, tired, and unmotivated. These parents are already dealing with somuch. Helping improve their children's health relieves some of the parents'stress so they can focus on the daunting tasks before them," says VitaminRelief USA's Executive Director Michael Morton.
Recent reports have surfaced in the press saying that many of the FEMAtrailers are contaminated with toxicity levels far higher then healthy bodiescan handle, let alone malnourished systems, as is the case for many of thetrailer's inhabitants. The toxic element reportedly found in the trailers isFormaldehyde, a common wood preservative used in the trailers' buildingmaterials. According to reports, Formaldehyde gas is emitting from the wallsof some of the FEMA trailers and families are unknowingly inhaling the toxicfumes. Currently the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention areconducting a study on this issue at the request of FEMA. However, The USEnvironmental Protection Agency reports that exposure to low levels ofFormaldehyde can cause a number of health problems including eye and throatirritation, fatigue, and nausea, but higher levels, such as the ones found inthe trailers, can lead to difficulty breathing, attacks in people with asthma,and has caused cancer in animals and may cause cancer in humans.(1) Forpeople with decreased immune systems due to already unhealthy conditions, thisexposure to toxins can be even more harmful. It is of extreme importance thatthese people are given the proper nutritional support to keep as healthy aspossible while the research by the CDC is conducted.
By supporting the schools through a
