Florida's Space Coast to Boston: Cancer's Reach in Wakefield's Family

BREVARD COUNTY, FL. - Tim Wakefield, a native of Brevard and a former Major League Baseball player, has sadly passed away after a battle with cancer. In a heartbreaking turn of events, his wife, Stacy Wakefield, also lost her life to the illness just five months later. Tim's love for baseball ignited during his high school years at Eau Gallie High School, and he further honed his skills at Florida Tech before achieving success in the Major Leagues. The premature loss of both Tim and Stacy has created a profound sense of grief in their community, highlighting the harsh realities of cancer's toll. 

The recent unfortunate events in Wakefield have reverberated across Brevard County, reigniting discussions about the health challenges confronting the community and raising concerns over the harmful environmental effects linked to operations by the Department of Defense (DoD) in the area. Many families in Brevard County are reporting cases where their neighbors and cherished pets are being diagnosed with similar types of cancer that are affecting their own households.

In late 2022, Brevard County gained notoriety as the "toxic triangle" after the US government released a study linking cancer rates to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune. Environmental advocates argue that the situation in Brevard County is even more alarming, citing the presence of three active military installations: NASA, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, and Patrick Space Force Base. These sites have reported the presence of harmful substances like Trichloroethylene (TCE) in their groundwater, reflecting the contamination issues faced at the North Carolina military base.

The Space Coast region has a notable history of examining disease clusters and health concerns, particularly regarding elevated rates of childhood illnesses, a striking occurrence of neurodegenerative diseases such as ALS, and the identification of rare cancers among young adults raised in the area. In addition to the persistent pollution linked to the Department of Defense, various manufacturing and aerospace firms have been active in Brevard County for many years, performing rocket tests and discharging chemicals into the surrounding environment.

NASA initiated its efforts to identify and assess contamination within the agency during the 1980s. Currently, the Open Burn Unit at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station is responsible for the disposal of various hazardous substances, including arsenic, lead, selenium, potassium, titanium, magnesium, barium, vanadium, chromium, cadmium, copper, aluminum, and perchlorate. Some of these chemicals have been shown to negatively affect the environment and present significant health risks to humans.

High levels of PFAS chemicals discovered at Patrick Space Force Base in Brevard County have raised significant concerns. A 2018 report from the Department of Defense revealed the presence of these toxic substances in the base's groundwater and the drinking water of local schools, public parks, and residential neighborhoods. Environmental specialists also detected PFAS in the county's groundwater, frequently used for irrigation. PFAS, a category of synthetic chemicals that includes nearly 15,000 compounds, is recognized for its serious health implications. The Department of Defense has been linked to the environmental release of these hazardous materials through the use of Aqueous Film Forming Foam (AFFF). Despite knowledge of the associated risks dating back to the 1970s, the DoD continued its use. Parents have expressed heightened worries, particularly about the presence of PFBA in 13 Brevard County schools, given that children are more vulnerable to the harmful effects of such exposures.

In 2018, over 50 alumni from Satellite High School came forward to reveal their rare cancer diagnoses. Many of these survivors had been involved in various sports, including football, cheerleading, swimming, and baseball, raising significant concerns regarding possible contamination of athletic fields.

In 2023, a concerning report highlighted a significant incidence of brain cancer among players of the Philadelphia Phillies, revealing that six athletes had died from glioblastoma. This finding ignited national apprehension about a possible link between their cancer diagnoses and the synthetic turf used in their games. The artificial surface, made from harmful PFAS chemicals, heavy metals, benzene, volatile organic compounds, and other carcinogenic materials, has prompted serious inquiries into its health implications.

In 2019, Jim Holmes, a military veteran and grieving father, addressed Congress in Washington, DC, highlighting the alarming rise in brain cancer cases among children in Brevard County. Holmes, whose daughter succumbed to brain cancer, pointed out that she was a student at Satellite High School. His testimony underscored the initiatives undertaken by medical professionals to bring attention to the unusually elevated rates of this disease in the region.

Harmful environmental exposures can present themselves in various forms. For example, PFAS chemicals are linked to several health issues, including prostate, kidney, and testicular cancers. Additionally, these substances can lead to reproductive and developmental problems, disrupt the body's natural hormonal balance, and elevate cholesterol levels.

Brevard County is grappling with issues beyond the presence of PFAS chemicals. Environmental advocates have revealed that a developer constructed residential properties on a former military landfill, which the Department of Defense neglected to remediate before the area's transformation into South Patrick Shores. This situation has sparked fears regarding the potential for harmful vapors from buried toxic waste infiltrating homes. Additionally, an investigation has highlighted the state's failure to adequately address the health concerns of over 30 young adults diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma in the early 1990s. The Florida Department of Health attributed these cases to a "virus" outbreak, dismissing the link to environmental factors. Many others from the community, which numbers around 5,900, reported losing loved ones to ALS, only to be reassured that the disease's prevalence was within normal limits. In 2019, the government officially officially classified South Patrick Shores as a Formerly Used Defense Site (FUDS).

A graduate of Satellite High School, an oncologist who has faced cancer personally and lost her best friend to the illness, launched a new investigation into a cancer cluster. The Brevard County Cancer Assessment, released in 2019, indicated elevated cancer rates in two specific zip codes. However, the report has drawn considerable criticism from health experts and advocates, who pointed out the state's failure to include certain diseases potentially linked to PFAS and other concerning contaminants found at DoD sites.

In the aftermath of the devastating news regarding the Wakefield family's profound losses, the community is confronted with the stark reality of multiple family members facing cancer simultaneously and the tragic loss of young lives. This tragedy has prompted a collective reflection on the unsettling impact of life-threatening illnesses. As the family navigates this difficult period, an overwhelming wave of sympathy and support has been directed their way, with numerous residents engaging in efforts to combat cancer through research and preventive measures.

• Artificial turf potentially linked to cancer deaths of six Phillies ball players: https://www.theguardian.com/society/2023/mar/10/phillies-ball-players-cancer-artifical-turf
• Brevard County Cancer Assessment: https://brevard.floridahealth.gov/_files/_documents/press-release/2019/05/050219-brevardcounty-cancerassessment.pdf
• Curt Schilling Reveals Tim Wakefield's Cancer Diagnoses: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jr_qAt5upGs
• Hazardous waste produced by the Department of Defense in Cape Canaveral: https://www.advocatesvoice.com/2020/09/cape-canaverals-hazardous-waste.html
• Jim Holmes Testimony: https://www.advocatesvoice.com/2021/04/no%20defense.html
• NASA's Health Plans for the Indian River Lagoon: https://www.advocatesvoice.com/2021/10/nasalagoonplan.html
• Toxic Triangle: https://www.advocatesvoice.com/2024/03/blog-post.html
• US government set to release Camp Lejeune cancer study: https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/us-government-set-release-camp-lejeune-cancer-study-2024-01-18/