The Difficulty of Living with Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity (EHS)
I am typing this article because my girlfriend suffers from a severe case of Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity (EHS). It is a topic near and dear to my heart because someone I love is being harmed with malicious intent. Since she cannot be exposed to technology, electricity, or anything man-made that runs on electrical current (lights, AC, sink, toilet, car, shower, and etc), she needs someone to be there 24/7. It surprises even electricians when they research how even the sink, toilet, and shower are running on electrical current. When exposed to EMFs, her symptoms include: ringing in the ears, rashes, nerve loss and Parkinson’s-like shaking, bleeding, memory loss, migraines, fatigue, and sleep problems. Back in Michigan, the outdoors made her feel better in comparison to being indoors next to wireless technology. For this reason, she slept outside for four months until I had enough money to pick her up. Given that her neighborhood was inundated with high levels of EMF exposure she became an EMF refugee and moved to Connecticut.
The biggest challenge was bringing her across the country and ensuring she doesn’t faint (another symptom of EHS) through the duration of the trip. A larger object containing electromagnetic frequencies will worsen her symptoms. This is why we could not come by airplane. When we arrived here, she was wide-awake while I was fast asleep. Individuals with electrosensitivity have low melatonin causing them to have difficulty sleeping. For this particular ailment, being “allergic” or “sensitive” to electricity is an understatement.
Many may ask why she had to move from Michigan to Connecticut. It’s because even with wired technology which is safer, she still lived in an area surrounded by harmful wireless technology. While living in Connecticut, I became my girlfriend’s caretaker and I love it. I always wanted a woman I could take care of. The only downside is seeing her in pain whenever someone uses EMFs. To prevent her from being exposed to EMFs, my duties are: flushing the toilet, filling up the bathtub and water bottles while she stands outside in the cold, heat, and rain. Passerbys give her constant stares, make rude comments, and ask intrusive questions when she is minding her own business. These sarcastic questions include, but not limited to, “Are you playing hide-and-seek?”, “Why are you sitting outside all the time?”, or “Oh I guess your man is not coming?”
EHS is so restricting it prevents my girlfriend from being a part of society. For example she is unable to go grocery shopping, use the car or public transportation, and do common tasks most of us take for granted. One of my neighbors felt guilty for having their car and music on after learning about her condition. Both of us were appreciative of her empathy and my girlfriend wrote a heartfelt letter to let her know it meant a lot to her that she accommodated her medical condition.
Despite my girlfriend’s electrosensitivity, she would collect empty bottles and cans for 5 cents each and ultimately collected 30,000 cans and bottles. People were shocked at her work ethic. Not only that, but she made over 100 flyers by hand for odd jobs. I put the flyers up in stores since she can’t go in. These odd jobs ended up being anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour away by foot through varying weather conditions because she was unable to use the car due to EHS. These odd jobs included: pulling weeds by hand, shoveling the snow with a shovel, tutoring students, helping job seekers prepare for interviews and update their resumes. She didn’t let her disability stop her, but she deserves justice, financial compensation and a quick recovery.
One electrosensitive we met informed us of four others who developed EHS in our city. Now just imagine the state, the country, and the world. We used to think electrosensitives were a small community, but overtime we met more of them throughout the world and realized this was a growing condition. After doing research, I found Dr. Magda Havas’ website, which states 3% of the global population have a severe case of EHS and 35% have a mild-to-moderate case of it.
France and Israel banned WiFi in their nursery schools since kids have smaller body masses, developing brains, and thinner skulls. Therefore they are more affected by it. Other countries should ban WiFi and use safe technology instead. The Belpomme study and Havana Syndrome are proof that EHS is a neurological condition, not a psychological one. The Telecommunications Act of 1996 Section 704 is being abused and needs to be updated. Satellites are being put into space, which means not even EMF-friendly zones will help electrosensitives. If we aren’t preventative and proactive now and keep adding more harmful stimuli, then even people with a strong immune system will develop this medical condition.
JML Law won a lawsuit regarding a middle school teacher who asked for accommodations from the Los Angeles Unified School District and was turned down. She illustrated electromagnetic hypersensitivity is a human rights issue. It’s inhumane for electrosensitives to be denied proper accommodations when others who are disabled receive proper arrangements. As a result, the California Appellate Court ruled EHS as a disability under FEHA law.
Many former telecommunication employees work for the FCC, a government agency, that is raising the safety levels of EMF exposure and using studies funded by telecommunication companies to convince citizens the levels of radiation are safe. Do you see the conflict-of-interest and corruption? This is why people are developing electromagnetic hypersensitivity (EHS) under “safe” levels of radiation set by the FCC. We need independent studies not conducted by telecommunication companies on radiofrequency exposure for transparency.
Please watch the TED Talk by Jeromy Johnson called “Wireless Wake-Up Call” and visit his website emfanalysis.com to read scientific studies about radiofrequency radiation. His speech was wonderful since it gives the audience solutions, but it means those affected will have to suffer while businesses make safer products. Legislation needs to get passed now so mankind doesn’t have to withstand the harmful health risks of EMF radiation. Johnson highlighted how most of the scientific studies are being funded by telecommunication companies. To have true transparency, we need independent studies not funded by the industry it is meant to regulate.
Dr. Gro Harlem Brundtland, the former Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) suffers from this medical condition. Another well-known electrosensitive is Jolie Jones (daughter of music legend Quincy Jones and half-sister of actress Rashida Jones of the TV show Parks and Recreation). Her website is jolietalks.com and it has scientific studies about EHS as well as her story on electrosensitivity.
I am writing this article so we can help electrosensitives like my girlfriend by changing the laws so she can recover. After going above and beyond for my family and me I am forever indebted to her and would love to create a support system so people can reciprocate her efforts and drastically help ease her stress, improve her life, and give her hope. I also want the readers of this article to find out if they or someone they know is suffering from electrosensitivity.
My goals are for people to make accommodation for electrosensitives and to get heavily involved in activism to change the laws. For every electrosensitive there should be at least 10 people advocating on their behalf and fighting for their safety just like people do with other conditions. For those who believe that I’m a good boyfriend after reading this article, I wasn’t so kind by neglecting her, pleasing others and taking my frustration from others on to her. I’m lucky to have her. Not the other way around. I still have a long way to go. Filling up the waters is an easy task that can’t be compared to collecting 30,000 cans and bottles for 5 cents each, walking miles to odd jobs to help increase the income, and a lot more to write a novel on it (not listed in this article). Literally! She’s the best girlfriend there is!
About the Author:
Ronald Vivar Pachas has a Bachelor’s degree in Biology from Eastern Connecticut State University. He met with Senator Richard Blumenthal and Governor Ned Lamont to update the Telecommunications Act of 1996 Section 704. He started a LinkedIn group for scientists, academics, medical professionals, and politicians called, “Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity and Safe Technology Advocates”
