Sixth carbon monoxide week - 21 November

Lynn Griffths founded the charity in July 2005 after she was poisoned by carbon monoxide (CO) for over a decade and her two children were poisoned in the womb, even though they were born eight years apart.

One 24th November, one month before Christmas and with their three year old son playing at his feet, Mrs Griffith’s husband sadly passed away. His death was due to lung cancer, but Mrs Griffiths believes carbon monoxide poisoning was also a significant factor.

The 12th anniversary of his death falls during Carbon Monoxide Awareness week this year. Lynn was left to bring up four children aged three, 10, 13 and 15 years on her own at the age of 40.

In terms of effects, Mrs Griffiths says her memory is the worst. She has short term memory problems, cognitive problems. Guy’s Hospital said this could be handicapping her daily life. People she knows make allowances for her memory problems.

Carbon monoxide can damage all the body’s organs, including brain, eyes, heart, lungs, kidney’s etc.

Carbon monoxide is the most common poison in the UK today. Mrs Griffiths believes firmly that education is the key to preventing carbon monoxide poisoning.

In most cases of accidental poisonings, victims don’t realise that carbon monoxide was being produced or building up in the air they were breathing. The aim of Carbon Monoxide Awareness week is to show people how they can protect themselves from this silent killer.

http://www.covictim.org/

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