Suffer the Children: The lethal legacy of Agent Orange

Suffer the Children: The lethal legacy of Agent Orange

By Dave Stancliff/For the Times-Standard
Posted: 02/21/2010 01:30:30 AM PST

Although Sharon L. Perry has never been to Vietnam, what happened to her husband, who served there during his military service, has affected her life forever. Since he died in 2005 she has “waded through grief, hate, anger, pain, rage, and lots and lots of heartache.”

The heartache started long before Reuben “Bud” C. Perry III died from a myocardial infarction attributed to his diabetes, peripheral neuropathy, and Hep C, all Agent Orange (AO) related illnesses. It began with the birth of their oldest daughter, Danielle, who has been sick all her life. Sharon fought for years with doctors who didn't seem to know what caused her daughter to suffer debilitating muscle spasms in her neck that often lasted up to two hours.

”Finally,” Sharon said, “a doctor treated her because he said her muscles would atrophy if not taken care of.”

The Perrys took Danielle to Shriner's Hospital in Massachusetts where the chief of staff diagnosed a list of 20 ailments. She suffered everything from spondylolithesis, comprised immune system, hip dysphasia, to granuloma annulare.

Then their second daughter, Lisbeth, was diagnosed as autistic, a condition that had never affected either side of the family.

When Sharon's grandson began experiencing health problems that went undiagnosed by the doctors, Sharon was nearly overwhelmed. Throughout these challenges she watched helplessly as her husband's health slowly deteriorated over their 27 years of marriage. At the time of his death, he had a dozen severe health problems that were rated 110 percent service-connected.

Most Americans are aware that Vietnam veterans were exposed to Agent Orange, a deadly chemical defoliant used to destroy vegetation surrounding American military bases and forward firebases, to deprive the enemy of cover. It's been responsible for countless deaths and illnesses. Not as well-known are the effects upon the exposed veteran's children. Research has shown that toxins in Agent Orange cause DNA damage.

In 1991, thousands of birth defects attributed to parents' exposure to AO were recorded in the National Birth Defect Registry (www.birthdefects.org). There's an impressive body of scientific evidence that points to increases in birth defects and developmental problems in the children of Vietnam veterans and others exposed to AO.

This recognition didn't come overnight. The burden of proving that AO was deadly fell upon the veterans and their families back in the mid-1970s. They organized and won a class action lawsuit recognizing health problems caused by exposure to AO.

Veterans then had to prove they were in areas recognized by the Veterans Administration as “exposed areas.” Over the ensuing years one health condition after another was added to the list of AO related illnesses.

Justice came on July 18, 2008, when the “Agent Orange Equity Act” was passed to make sure all veterans exposed to AO could get disability ratings. The burden of proof was finally lifted from the veterans' shoulders. Facts prevailed for once. Any veteran who went to Vietnam and parts of Korea along the DMZ, is now presumed to have been exposed to AO and eligible for a service-connect rating.

Go to www.vva.org. for the complete and updated list.

The VA does recognize Spina Bifida as a birth defect resulting from AO. A Health Administration Center (HAC) was created (1-800-820-1756) to provide money, training, and rehabilitation for those children, but it isn't intended to be a comprehensive health plan, according to HAC literature.

Sen. Kirsten (D-NY) introduced legislation -- S.1940 Agent Orange Children's Study -- on Oct. 27, 2009. So far, there's been little support for the bill.

Enter Sharon L. Perry. With a focus born from her grief and trials, she and her daughter Danielle started a Web site called “Agent Orange Legacy” (www.agentorangelegacy.ning.com). Their mission is to unite the children of Vietnam veterans who have AO related illnesses, and others who want to advocate for more research and resources for them.

Sharon hopes the Web site will get enough attention to encourage people to support S.1940. She's currently putting together a national coalition and looking for Agent Orange Legacy representatives from every state to lobby Congress for bills like S.1940, to help the children.

Sharon is also working with Mokie Porter, a member of Vietnam Veterans of America, who is looking into helping the children of veterans who served their country.

As It Stands, I want to thank Sharon for sharing her story, and I hope others will be equally moved to support her mission and help these children.

Dave Stancliff is a columnist for The Times-Standard. He is a former newspaper editor and publisher. Comments can be sent to richstan1@suddenlink.net or to www.davesblogcentral.com.