Residents Tell Scott County Supervisors They Are Seeing a Spike in Pediatric Cancer Cases; Public Health Agencies Mobilize
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Summary
Speakers at the Jan. 7 Scott County Board meeting urged supervisors to help families after residents and a local oncology nurse said the county has seen a cluster of pediatric cancers; the Virginia Department of Health and other agencies are convening an investigation and a public meeting was scheduled for Jan. 8 at Gate City Middle School.
At a Scott County Board of Supervisors meeting on Jan. 7, local residents urged elected officials to help families facing serious pediatric illnesses, saying public-health agencies are investigating what some called a possible cluster of childhood cancers.
Christina Hurd, who said she lives in District 2, told the board she and other residents are "disappointed" in county leadership and that "Scott County has had 12 new cases of childhood cancer within the last 2 years," a figure she said came from research by a local volunteer. Hurd asked supervisors to attend a community meeting scheduled for the next evening at Gate City Middle School in solidarity with affected families.
Megan Smith, a board-certified oncology nurse who returned to the board after speaking at a November meeting, told supervisors she has spoken with affected families and local school nurses. "In the last 2 and a half, 3 years, our number is now at 15," Smith said, reporting what she described as the current case count known to families and clinicians she has contacted. Smith said families have struggled to obtain diagnostic workups and sometimes travel outside the region for specialty care; she also said parents report children with autoimmune conditions that local systems do not formally track.
Board members said state and regional agencies have been involved. County staff and supervisors noted interagency cooperation involving the Virginia Department of Health, the Department of Environmental Quality and regional clinicians. The board encouraged public attendance at the scheduled community meeting and said staff would provide information about virtual access.
What happened next: Board staff and supervisors said the Virginia Department of Health will be holding a public meeting to discuss the status of its investigation. Board members urged residents to participate and promised to convey attendees' concerns to state and regional agencies.
Why it matters: Residents described potentially serious and ongoing health problems affecting multiple children and urged county leadership to press agencies for answers and support. County officials said multiple state agencies are engaged and that families will continue to receive information through the scheduled public meeting.
Next steps: The board encouraged participation in the Gate City Middle School meeting and said staff would continue coordinating with state and federal partners. County officials said the investigation is ongoing and that the board will monitor agency findings.