My testimony is about my son and all of the children who are affected by lead poisoning. My son was diagnosed with lead poisoning in 1992 at the age of 9 years old and he died of complications of lead poisoning on Sept 15, at the age of 24, 2007. His autopsy showed a various amount of illnesses including diabetes, problems with his liver, his kidneys, his esophagus and his heart, among other things.

​While speaking with my son just twenty-four hours before he died he said to me “Dad, this doesn’t make any sense. There should be something done about these illnesses.” Not knowing that he was on his last day. Not understanding that I understand more now about what he was saying.

Today thousands of children in Cleveland are affected by lead poisoning. Lead poisoning disguises itself in many ways. Through many illnesses. I witnessed this daily with my son. The effects of childhood lead poisoning last a lifetime. There is no safe lead level exposure. Lead poisoning can create medical complications like those that killed my son. Lead causes all types of problems that require special attention and special education.

Lead affects the nervous system in many ways that causes impulsive behavior that leads to encounters with the police, say for example Freddie Gray in Baltimore. He was a victim of childhood lead poisoning and those impulsive outbursts may have led to his encounter and negligence of the police in his situation.

Since my son’s death I have been on a mission to educate the citizens of the city of Cleveland about the dangers of lead poisoning. My son will not die in vain. If we as a city and a country can prevent lead poisoning, then no child will die in vain.