Positive Health Online

A cause she took up in 2001 after discovering she - and a number of individuals in her community - had cancer and one she continues to this day.

• 52 year old Eileen O Connor was 38 years old when she was diagnosed with breast cancer, which was the biggest shock of her life; 
• No history of breast cancer in her family and living a healthy life;
• At the time when she was diagnosed, was running a successful family photographic business with husband Paul, bringing up my two young children and renovating their home;
• Operation to remove lump followed with six months of chemotherapy, radiotherapy and reconstruction;
• Began to suspect an environmental cause for her cancer when she started bumping into neighbours in the hospital;
• Decided to do a health survey and discovered a catalogue of serious illnesses; 
• In their hamlet of Wishaw, alone: Five women developed breast cancer; one young man had prostate cancer; there was a case of bladder cancer and one of lung cancer; then three of pre-cancer cervical cells and one of motor neurone disease age 51, who also had a massive tumour removed from the top of his spine;
• Even more strangely, people have developed benign lumps, electro-sensitivity, three cases of severe skin rashes and many villagers suffered with sleep problems, headaches, dizziness and low immune system problems;
• All this led her to start questioning the presence of a very large mobile phone mast – out of the eighteen houses surrounding the mast at up to a range of 500 metres, 77 per cent have major health related illnesses, which we believe to be as a result of radiation from the mast;
• The outbreak of illnesses occurred in 2001, after seven years of exposure to the radiation emitted by the mast;
• Community Campaign to get the mast removed led to it coming down in 2003;
• Eileen’s campaign and story was featured at the time in various national press and interviews on ITV This Morning;
• Since that day she has gone to become a founder member of Seriously Concerned Residents Against Masts (SCRAM), the EM Radiation Research Trust (RRT) and Human Ecological Social Economic (h.e.s.e.) UK;
• Campaigned against EMF’s and am now a member of the Electro Magnetic Fields Discussion Group, which is chaired by Sir William Stewart, Chairman for the Health Protection Agency UK. The HPA are advisors to the UK Government;
• Invited to give a presentation on mobile phone masts and health concerns at the Health Protection Agency, London on 16th October, 2006 (you can view her presentation on the front page of the EM Radiation Research Trust website www.radiationresearch.org
• Taken this fight to Westminster, and visited Director Generals in Brussels;
• Given evidence to Birmingham and Liverpool City Councils, met with Merseyside Fire Authority and given presentations to hundreds of packed meetings throughout the UK;
• Also met with many MPs including former Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt, Solicitor General QC MP Mike O’Brien, David Davis Shadow Home Secretary and have received tremendous support from our MP Andrew Mitchell and fellow trustees;
• 2005 appeared on a political reality TV show on ITV called “vote for me” on the single issue of “phone masts” and came an incredible second place after receiving thousands of votes from the public;
• Appeared on Tonight with Trevor McDonald, BBC News, Sky News, GMTV and ITV’s This Morning and given many local news reports for TV and radio;
• Amazed to have developed such a strong voice;
• When you feel so passionate about a subject and you are convinced you are right, after having cancer you realise nothing in the world can be worse than facing up to losing your life, it helps to put life into perspective;
• More recently met with the Director for the EU Commission in Luxembourg. Helped the EU Commission to bring scientists together from both sides of the debate to form the EU Commission Stakeholder Dialogue Group;
• Brought both sides of the scientific debate together for the Radiation Research Trust meeting in at the Royal Society, London and organised dinner at Westminster in 2008;
• Co-organised the Norwegian event in 2009 bringing scientists together for a week in Seletun, Norway to discuss and publish a paper on biologically based guidelines for EMF/RF radiation protection;
• Co-founder and Board member for the International EMF Alliance which is supported by over 100 NGO’s globally;
• Presented at the Commonwealth Club in San Francisco in 2010;
• Visited Moscow for two weeks as invited guest of the previous Chairman for the Russia’s radiation protection;
• Organized a private audience with the new Chairman for Russia’s radiation protection in London.