Dying in the shadow of the refineries
Photo Title
Dying in the shadow of the refineries
Photographer/Creator
Mona Reeder
Collection
Publisher
The Dallas Morning News
Caption/Description
DYING IN THE SHADOW OF THE REFINERIES
Just moments after her sister, Yola, died of cancer, Dorothea La Barrea, 52, (right, front) grieving & struggling to breathe, put her dead sister's oxygen tubes into her own nose. She's never had medical insurance despite working her entire life and can't afford the oxygen she needs round the clock. Ms. La Barrea, who suffers from COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) and asthma, has lived within blocks of the refineries and chemical plants since she was a tiny child. The family believes that both sisters became sick from being exposed to the carcinogens released into the air by the refineries. After Yola died, family members joined hands and sang Amazing Grace.
Just moments after her sister, Yola, died of cancer, Dorothea La Barrea, 52, (right, front) grieving & struggling to breathe, put her dead sister's oxygen tubes into her own nose. She's never had medical insurance despite working her entire life and can't afford the oxygen she needs round the clock. Ms. La Barrea, who suffers from COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) and asthma, has lived within blocks of the refineries and chemical plants since she was a tiny child. The family believes that both sisters became sick from being exposed to the carcinogens released into the air by the refineries. After Yola died, family members joined hands and sang Amazing Grace.
Citation
Mona Reeder, "Dying in the shadow of the refineries," in POYi Archive, Item #40639, http://archive.poy.org/index.php/items/show/40639 (accessed June 9, 2025).
Date Added
03.07.2011