For me, the story began in 2013. Three months after my younger brother was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, I heard the same words from my doctor: You have cancer too. At 27, I was facing chemotherapy while still reeling from my uncle’s death from cancer and my father’s diagnosis of multiple myeloma. Cancer had consumed my family in a way that felt impossible, yet, as my medical records later indicated, this was not about genetics. Environmental factors were suspected.
When I entered those sterile hospital rooms, doctors and nurses asked not just about my health but about where I lived. Their questions weren’t idle. They had seen patterns, too. My family’s suffering was not an isolated case, it was part of something much bigger.
From Personal Battle to Collective Movement
In 2014, just after I was declared in remission, I founded a small Facebook group called Florida Health Connection, which grew into what is now Fight For Zero. What started as a place to share resources became a lifeline for countless families across Brevard County. One by one, survivors, caregivers, and grieving loved ones came forward with their stories: rare cancers in young adults, aggressive illnesses in children, autoimmune diseases without clear cause.
The pattern was undeniable. Within months, our informal registry had grown to hundreds of cases, forcing us to categorize entries just to keep track. As we pieced together the data, a disturbing picture emerged: Brevard County was not suffering from bad luck. It was suffering from contamination.
The Legacy of Toxic Waste
Our investigation revealed decades of toxic dumping, hazardous waste mismanagement, and pollution linked to aerospace activity and the Department of Defense. PFAS—so-called forever chemicals—were found in drinking water, groundwater, and even in the blood of local wildlife. The Indian River Lagoon, once a symbol of natural beauty, became another site of exposure. Monitoring wells showed our contamination levels ranked among the highest in the country.
The statistics confirmed what families had been living through. Leukemia in children. Breast cancer in young women. Brain cancer, thyroid cancer, ALS in NASA engineers, and kidney failure in young adults. The registry showed cancers appearing in clusters, at rates far above the national average.
Yet, as with communities like Camp Lejeune, officials dismissed concerns. They told families that coincidences explained the tragedies on their streets. But no coincidence could explain the depth, breadth, and generational impact of what we were uncovering.
Turning Grief Into Action
The human cost is staggering. Children like Julie, diagnosed with leukemia at 13. Young adults like Joshua and Cory, both struck with testicular cancer at 27. Families like mine, battling multiple diagnoses at once. These are not numbers. These are lives—cut short, reshaped, and scarred by preventable tragedies.
As an advocate, I’ve come to see survivorship not as an ending but as a beginning. Cancer taught me to fight relentlessly, to connect the dots, and to demand accountability. Speaking out comes with risks—alienation, dismissal, even hostility—but silence would mean betraying the families who continue to suffer in the shadows.
A Call to Protect Future Generations
What is happening in Brevard County is not just a local issue. It is a national one. Military bases, aerospace industries, and decades of neglect have left communities poisoned across the United States. Our fight is about more than recognition; it is about preventing another generation from inheriting a toxic legacy.
We cannot change the past, but we can demand better for the future. That means stricter rules on toxic chemicals, transparency about contamination, investment in cleanup, and policies that prioritize human health over corporate or governmental convenience.
To those living in Brevard County or elsewhere in Florida, know this: you are not alone. Share your story, connect with others, and join us in turning pain into power. Together, we can fight for zero contamination, zero excuses, and zero preventable tragedies.
www.fight4zero.org