East Palestine residents grapple with health symptoms following toxic train derailment
Ohio residents tell Dr. Marc Siegel it’s like ‘pulling teeth’ to get answers on the contamination in the community.
As residents of East Palestine, Ohio, continue to struggle in the aftermath of the train derailment and subsequent toxic chemical fires earlier this month, a health-focused company has pledged to provide free medical care for victims.
The Wellness Company of Boca Raton, Florida, is a virtual provider of health care, supplements and wellness services.
It is now offering free online consultations with a licensed doctor or medical provider via its website.
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On Feb. 3, a train carrying vinyl chloride, a potentially hazardous chemical, derailed just outside the small town of East Palestine.
Railroad officials ordered a controlled burn of the chemicals, sending plumes of contaminated smoke into the sky.
On Feb. 3, a train carrying vinyl chloride, a potentially hazardous chemical, derailed just outside the small town of East Palestine, Ohio. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, file)
Since the derailment, East Palestinians have reported various degrees of sickness.
One resident told Dr. Marc Siegel of New York City, a Fox News medical contributor, that she has experienced shortness of breath, headache, lightheadedness, irritated throat and swollen eyes.
Her husband reported a gravelly voice, a headache that lasted for weeks, dizziness and a tingling sensation in his gums.
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Another resident told "Fox & Friends" that her "skin was burning" after she got out of the shower, and that the sensation lasted "all night long."
There is also widespread concern about the unknown long-term effects of the exposure.
East Palestine residents have been frustrated by slow action or a lack of assistance from the U.S. government — particularly from Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg (pictured) and President Joe Biden. (AP Photo/Matt Freed)
Those living in the town also have been frustrated by slow action or a lack of assistance from the U.S. government — particularly from President Joe Biden and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.
Resident DJ Yokley told Fox News that federal help has been "too little, too late."
"It is clear at this point that the government is absolutely unwilling or unable to assist the men, women and children of East Palestine," said Foster Coulson, founder and chairman of The Wellness Company, in a press release on his company’s website.
Residents have experienced shortness of breath, headache, lightheadedness, irritated throat, dizziness and other symptoms.
"Today, we are pledging to assist those Americans who are impacted by this disaster by offering free medical care," he continued.
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"I encourage the rest of the medical-industrial complex to join us in our mission of putting the health and well-being of people before the bottom line," he also said.
Workers are seen on Tuesday, Feb. 21, cleaning up derailed train cars in East Palestine, Ohio, following the Feb. 3 Norfolk Southern freight train derailment. (AP/Matt Freed)
The Wellness Company said it has "world-class" doctors in all 50 states.
"These are the times to come together as a community, as a country and as a society to support those in need."
Patients will be able to obtain any necessary prescriptions via overnight delivery, Coulson told Fox News Digital in an email.
Any in-person follow-up care should be determined between the patient and the doctor, he added.
Patients will be able to obtain any necessary prescriptions via overnight delivery, The Wellness Company's CEO told Fox News Digital on Monday, Feb. 27. (iStock)
"After decades of neglect by the government, the health care infrastructure — much like the transportation infrastructure — in East Palestine is simply not able to handle the magnitude of the crisis they are now facing," Coulson said.
"These are the times to come together as a community, as a country and as a society to support those in need."
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East Palestine residents who are ill and suffering can visit www.twc.health/pages/acute-care-derailment to receive free virtual care through August 2023.
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