Richard ‘Nibby’ David: Poisoned by Depleted Uranium
Court case scheduled for the 6 - 17 December 2004
Carolyn d’Hesse Rogers
NDDU Support Group
In London, UK, Mr Richard 'Nibby David' is bringing a personal injury case against his former employer Honeywell for depleted uranium (DU) poisoning. The hearing is scheduled for the 6th to the 17th December 2004 at the High Court in London.
“It is necessary only for the good man to do nothing for evil to triumph.” Edmund Burke
About Nibby
From 1985 to 1995, Richard “Nibby” David worked as a civil engineer in the aerospace industry in Yeovil, UK, for the company Normalair Garrett, now owned by the US company Honeywell. Mr David suffers from severe illnesses, which he claims he contracted on the work floor, handling DU-containing aircraft components.
He noticed changes to his health and personality three weeks after starting work there. At first he developed a persistent agonising burning in his throat, nostrils and pharynx, coupled with a constant feeling as if flu was starting. His energy just disappeared and he felt morbidly ill. His character changed from being a relaxed and happy go lucky type, to a person who was more prone to anxiety, depression and irritability.
Health Problems
His health continued to deteriorate during the years he worked there, culminating in 1995 with severe untreatable pneumonia and breathing difficulties similar to asthma. He was gravely ill and near death with all his systems collapsing, and forced to leave work. Luckily acupuncture saved his life. He is now 49, unable to work and has had occasional severe relapses whilst overall his condition continues to deteriorate. Prior to starting work at the factory in Yeovil he was fit and healthy, being a dance and aerobics instructor in his spare time.
Richard David’s health problems include throat pains, no saliva, burning tears and semen, inflammation of the airways and scarring of the lungs, severe pain and agonising arthritis in bones and joints, bone growth on his head, severe back pain, kidney and bowel problems, occasional bleeding from the rectum, changes to his skin with blisters on his hands and feet, disappearance of his fingerprints because his skin has become plastic ‘like silicon’, fibromyalgia and enormous fatigue.
Poisoned by DU
The cause of all health problems was a mystery to him, until results obtained in 2000 of tests for the concentration of uranium isotopes in urine conducted by Dr. Durakovic of the Uranium Medical Research Center, proved him to be poisoned by depleted uranium (DU). He learned that all the symptoms above are quite similar to those of other DU victims. Many people poisoned by DU, as is now being found in Gulf War veterans and the peoples of the Bosnia, Kosovo, Serbia and Iraq, suffer from a similar range of health and genetic problems.
Nibby David concluded that DU poisoning could only have come from his workplace. This is strengthened by the fact that he is aware of work colleagues who have the same symptoms that he is suffering from, from the same possible cause. A number of these colleagues have developed cancer and are now dead. However, Honeywell refuses to admit that DU was used in the aerospace department where Richard David worked. The most the company concedes at the present, is that its employees were involved in handling "tungsten heavy metal alloy".
Genetic Mutation
One of the proofs of the effects of possible poisoning with DU was delivered by Dr. med. W. Hoffman of the Bremen Institute for Prevention Research and Social Medicine, who carried out tests which proved Nibby to have an increased rate of dicentric and ring chromosome mutations in his lymphocytes. These mutations are known to be caused by exposure to ionising radiation.
Subsequent genetic examination and analysis was done by Dr. Beaman at the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital. It showed Mr. David had developed the exceedingly rare Gitelmans syndrome. This is a genetic condition which affects the kidneys from birth and depends on the genes involved being inherited from both the mother and the father (in itself a rare occurrence). Usually the syndrome is active from birth, but Mr. David developed it in his 40’s. Dr. Beaman says the actual cause of the genetic mutation and mature onset is out of his range of expertise.
Half-hearted acknowledgement
A benefits agency tribunal for industrial injuries pension benefit did acknowledge that Richard David’s exposure to ionising radiation was ‘sufficient to double the risk of the onset of terminal cancer’, thus including the aerospace industry in the same category as those such as medicine and the nuclear industry, where workers are acknowledged to be at risk from radiation. Even so, in the event, the benefit was refused. He considers that his denial of benefits highlights the legally unsafe DSS rules and practices regarding full acknowledgement of the devastating effects of radiation poisoning.
Precedent-setting case
Richard ‘Nibby’ David has been made an honorary Gulf War Veteran as he is suffering from uranium poisoning. One of his key witnesses will be Professor Malcolm Hooper, of the University of Sunderland, Chief Scientific Advisor for Gulf War veterans.
It is thought that many Gulf War Veterans are suffering from damage to their health which could be linked with uranium poisoning. It is estimated that 300 tonnes of DU was dropped on Iraq in the first Gulf War, and up to 1,000 tonnes in the recent conflict. This will lead to more of the troops suffering as also will the people of Iraq.
Donations
The NDDU DU Support Group has been set up to support victims of depleted uranium poisoning build up a full case for legal assistance and compensation.
If you would like to support this important, precedent-setting case and other victims of DU poisoning, donations can be made using internet credit/debit card payments via PayPal to the NDDU Support Group (Richard David). https://www.paypal.com/xclick/business=nibby@david54.fslife.co.uk&no_note=1&tax=0¤cy_code=GBP
OR cash/cheques can be paid over the counter at any UK branch of Lloyds TSB bank made payable to: NDDU Support Fund: Sort Code 30-90-37.
OR cheques made payable to NDDU Support Fund by post to: NDDU Support Group, 2 Beach Corner, Harbour Road, Seaton, Devon, UK EX12 2LS
Copyright © by ICBUW
http://www.bandepleteduranium.org
Republished in conjunction with Review of International Social Questions (RISQ) http://www.risq.org
Please also see:
When 'David' Took On Goliath - One Dying Worker Challenges The Corporate Giants, by Davey Garland
http://www.unobserver.com/index.php?pagina=layout5.php&id=1205&blz=1
Court case scheduled for the 6 - 17 December 2004
Carolyn d’Hesse Rogers
NDDU Support Group
In London, UK, Mr Richard 'Nibby David' is bringing a personal injury case against his former employer Honeywell for depleted uranium (DU) poisoning. The hearing is scheduled for the 6th to the 17th December 2004 at the High Court in London.
“It is necessary only for the good man to do nothing for evil to triumph.” Edmund Burke
About Nibby
From 1985 to 1995, Richard “Nibby” David worked as a civil engineer in the aerospace industry in Yeovil, UK, for the company Normalair Garrett, now owned by the US company Honeywell. Mr David suffers from severe illnesses, which he claims he contracted on the work floor, handling DU-containing aircraft components.
He noticed changes to his health and personality three weeks after starting work there. At first he developed a persistent agonising burning in his throat, nostrils and pharynx, coupled with a constant feeling as if flu was starting. His energy just disappeared and he felt morbidly ill. His character changed from being a relaxed and happy go lucky type, to a person who was more prone to anxiety, depression and irritability.
Health Problems
His health continued to deteriorate during the years he worked there, culminating in 1995 with severe untreatable pneumonia and breathing difficulties similar to asthma. He was gravely ill and near death with all his systems collapsing, and forced to leave work. Luckily acupuncture saved his life. He is now 49, unable to work and has had occasional severe relapses whilst overall his condition continues to deteriorate. Prior to starting work at the factory in Yeovil he was fit and healthy, being a dance and aerobics instructor in his spare time.
Richard David’s health problems include throat pains, no saliva, burning tears and semen, inflammation of the airways and scarring of the lungs, severe pain and agonising arthritis in bones and joints, bone growth on his head, severe back pain, kidney and bowel problems, occasional bleeding from the rectum, changes to his skin with blisters on his hands and feet, disappearance of his fingerprints because his skin has become plastic ‘like silicon’, fibromyalgia and enormous fatigue.
Poisoned by DU
The cause of all health problems was a mystery to him, until results obtained in 2000 of tests for the concentration of uranium isotopes in urine conducted by Dr. Durakovic of the Uranium Medical Research Center, proved him to be poisoned by depleted uranium (DU). He learned that all the symptoms above are quite similar to those of other DU victims. Many people poisoned by DU, as is now being found in Gulf War veterans and the peoples of the Bosnia, Kosovo, Serbia and Iraq, suffer from a similar range of health and genetic problems.
Nibby David concluded that DU poisoning could only have come from his workplace. This is strengthened by the fact that he is aware of work colleagues who have the same symptoms that he is suffering from, from the same possible cause. A number of these colleagues have developed cancer and are now dead. However, Honeywell refuses to admit that DU was used in the aerospace department where Richard David worked. The most the company concedes at the present, is that its employees were involved in handling "tungsten heavy metal alloy".
Genetic Mutation
One of the proofs of the effects of possible poisoning with DU was delivered by Dr. med. W. Hoffman of the Bremen Institute for Prevention Research and Social Medicine, who carried out tests which proved Nibby to have an increased rate of dicentric and ring chromosome mutations in his lymphocytes. These mutations are known to be caused by exposure to ionising radiation.
Subsequent genetic examination and analysis was done by Dr. Beaman at the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital. It showed Mr. David had developed the exceedingly rare Gitelmans syndrome. This is a genetic condition which affects the kidneys from birth and depends on the genes involved being inherited from both the mother and the father (in itself a rare occurrence). Usually the syndrome is active from birth, but Mr. David developed it in his 40’s. Dr. Beaman says the actual cause of the genetic mutation and mature onset is out of his range of expertise.
Half-hearted acknowledgement
A benefits agency tribunal for industrial injuries pension benefit did acknowledge that Richard David’s exposure to ionising radiation was ‘sufficient to double the risk of the onset of terminal cancer’, thus including the aerospace industry in the same category as those such as medicine and the nuclear industry, where workers are acknowledged to be at risk from radiation. Even so, in the event, the benefit was refused. He considers that his denial of benefits highlights the legally unsafe DSS rules and practices regarding full acknowledgement of the devastating effects of radiation poisoning.
Precedent-setting case
Richard ‘Nibby’ David has been made an honorary Gulf War Veteran as he is suffering from uranium poisoning. One of his key witnesses will be Professor Malcolm Hooper, of the University of Sunderland, Chief Scientific Advisor for Gulf War veterans.
It is thought that many Gulf War Veterans are suffering from damage to their health which could be linked with uranium poisoning. It is estimated that 300 tonnes of DU was dropped on Iraq in the first Gulf War, and up to 1,000 tonnes in the recent conflict. This will lead to more of the troops suffering as also will the people of Iraq.
Donations
The NDDU DU Support Group has been set up to support victims of depleted uranium poisoning build up a full case for legal assistance and compensation.
If you would like to support this important, precedent-setting case and other victims of DU poisoning, donations can be made using internet credit/debit card payments via PayPal to the NDDU Support Group (Richard David). https://www.paypal.com/xclick/business=nibby@david54.fslife.co.uk&no_note=1&tax=0¤cy_code=GBP
OR cash/cheques can be paid over the counter at any UK branch of Lloyds TSB bank made payable to: NDDU Support Fund: Sort Code 30-90-37.
OR cheques made payable to NDDU Support Fund by post to: NDDU Support Group, 2 Beach Corner, Harbour Road, Seaton, Devon, UK EX12 2LS
Copyright © by ICBUW
http://www.bandepleteduranium.org
Republished in conjunction with Review of International Social Questions (RISQ) http://www.risq.org
Please also see:
When 'David' Took On Goliath - One Dying Worker Challenges The Corporate Giants, by Davey Garland
http://www.unobserver.com/index.php?pagina=layout5.php&id=1205&blz=1