DAUPHIN COUNTY, Pa. — Nearly 10 years ago, Middletown resident Brenda English lost her husband to lung cancer that was caused by prolonged radon exposure. She is now urging Pennsylvanians to test their homes for the deadly gas.
"It’s one of the most important things you can do. It is so vital. Nobody ever wants to see their family member go through something like this and it’s so easy to prevent," said English. "Everybody should just go get tested. Nobody should take that chance."
English and her husband, Frank, were married for 15 years. Until one day, everything changed.
Frank was getting severe headaches, and after a trip to the hospital, he was told he had lung cancer that had spread to his brain and was too late to cure.
Frank was diagnosed on Oct. 31, 2014, he passed away less than two months later at the age of 49, exactly one week after his birthday.
"I was just stunned. It’s hard to accept news like that. We kept thinking that something can be done but not long after that he just got so weak that, we pretty much knew we were going to lose him," said English. "But he fought. He fought as long as he could… there’s just a lot of emotions, anger, fear, pain. To lose that one person that is half of you is really hard. It’s hard to even put in words that kind of grief. It’s just soul-shattering."
Frank did not smoke and had no other indications he was at risk of cancer.
All signs pointed to radon, and after testing their home, it was confirmed.
Their home was at a level of 47 picoCuries per liter of air (pCi/L). The recommended level by the EPA is 4 pCi/L.
"I was angry that we didn’t know, as you move into new homes, it’s supposed to be tested but he had lived there 10 years before we met, so his exposure to it was longer than mine," said English.
The American Lung Association (ALA) released its 2023 'State of Lung Cancer' report on Tuesday. It ranks Pennsylvania 39th nationally for radon test results.
According to the ALA, the deadly gas is the second leading cause of cancer after smoking. About 21,000 people die from lung cancer caused by radon exposure nationwide each year.
"The only way to know what radon levels are in [your] house is to do a test, you can’t do it by anything you smell, see [or] feel," said Kevin Stewart, the director of environmental health at the American Lung Association. "The only symptoms if anyone gets them are the symptoms of lung cancer which by then is too late."
He adds that Pennsylvanians are particularly at more risk.
"High levels of radon have been found in every county in the state and therefore everyone should test their homes to find out what their radon level is and if it's confirmed to be high take the steps to fix it," said Stewart.
After losing her husband, it's completely changed her outlook on life.
“It makes you appreciate every day. You don’t take those things for granted," she told FOX43. "I never leave the people I love without saying I love you because you never know it’s going to be the last time. My life is just totally different.”
She ultimately hopes her husband’s story can make an impact.
"He would want his story to be told so it doesn’t happen to other people," said English. "He loved people and he would do anything he could to avoid somebody going through what I’ve been through and what he went through."