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2011 Mom on a Mission: Tamara Rubin

Founder of the non-profit Lead Safe America Foundation, Tamara Rubin’s children were diagnosed with acute lead poisoning in 2005—the result of a painting contractor’s use of unsafe paint removal methods. When Tamara learned that the contractor’s methods were actually illegal but that the existing law was not enforceable, she partnered with national lead poisoning prevention agencies to promote the new Federal EPA Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule—legislation that as of 2010 requires all contractors who work on pre-1978 homes to be certified and trained in using lead-safe work practices. Tamara also volunteers her time to help parents of lead-poisoned children find resources to help their children. Here is her story.

Our children were poisoned by the work of a contractor whom we hired to repaint the exterior of our home in the historic Irvington neighborhood of Portland, Oregon.

He was a licensed contractor and he told us he was trained and certified to safely paint over the lead paint originally used on older homes. His bid seemed high, but we were willing to pay it because we believed his training would ensure that our children would be safe. He told us that it was safe to stay in our home while he did the work as he was “only working on the exterior and there was no risk at all to children.”

He lied. Not only was he not certified, he used the most dangerous methods for paint removal: pressure washing, dry scraping and open-flame-torch burning.

Our children immediately became violently ill with flu-like symptoms, but it took us nearly two months from the time the boys were poisoned to get them diagnosed. Because our children didn’t fit the 40-year-old demographic model for lead poisoning—we lived in an upscale neighborhood and we didn’t have any peeling or chipping paint in our home—their pediatrician did not consider testing them for lead poisoning.

Avi was only eight months old. He was breastfeeding and not yet even crawling—he didn’t eat paint chips or even have access to floor dust—yet he was a victim of acute lead poisoning, from exposure to lead in the fumes and airborne dust produced by unsafe removal of our home’s exterior paint.

Today, Avi and his brother have irreversible brain damage that has caused learning disabilities, behavioral problems, aggression, headaches and other physical and neurological symptoms that will continue to challenge them for the rest of their lives.

Because of the lack of awareness about the issue among pediatricians and parents, many children are not tested for this increasingly common and preventable condition. Many of today’s victims live in “classic” homes in picturesque neighborhoods, which don’t match the outmoded demographic stereotype of who is at risk for lead poisoning.

If you suspect there may be lead hazards in your home, daycare or school, talk to your pediatrician about having your children tested. You can also purchase an EPA approved lead paint test kit for less than $10 at most hardware stores. Find out more at the Lead Safe America Foundation site or at my personal advocacy site, My Children Have Lead Poisoning .