In 2016 and 2018, two members of our Safer EMF family, Susan and Maddie, became electrically affected and were later diagnosed with Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity Syndrome (EHS), now more appropriately named Electromagnetic Radiation Syndrome (EMR Syndrome).
We are often asked....... How did this happen? What symptoms did you have? How did you find out it was EMF's? How did you recover? How do you get internet without WiFi? How do you live with EMF's everywhere? How will you survive with more EMF density in the future?
We've been asking ourselves many of these same questions as we seek to understand what went wrong and to find the triggers. We want to use that information to prevent increasing our sensitivity and to aid in our recovery.
After 6 years of suffering, trauma, loss, retrospect and now a new healthier way of life we are finally ready to share publicly what happened to us, how we believe it happened and what we've done to protect ourselves and live (mostly) symptom free since.
Becoming electrically affected
Susan's Story
In 2016. I travelled long haul to and from Australia, staying 10 nights in New York City. The hotel was in Mid-Town Manhattan and only a short walk from the bright lights of Times Square. I felt great those 10 days in NYC.
I believe it was this trip of a lifetime, that likely triggered my first symptoms of EMR Syndrome. The initial symptom I experienced, chronic headaches, appeared the day I arrived back in Australia. Then came a flood of symptoms: brain fog, mental confusion and short term memory loss. Followed closely by intolerance to hot sun and tachycardia.
I told my GP that I felt like I had no oxygen or bloodflow to my head and my jaw felt like concrete. He ordered bloods and an MRI which showed nothing of concern.
Within months of touching down I was unable to get myself to work because the physical symptoms were debilitating. I was unable to manage what seemed like an everyday mum task of getting children dropped off at daycare. It just seemed too hot all of a sudden and I needed to sit down constantly. I would arrive at work feeling like I'd run a marathon, I was breathless taking the stairs, my heart was racing and the brain fog, mental confusion and short term memory loss was presenting challenges in my work, which required significant attention to detail.
I resigned from my employment, bewildered by what was happening to me, but knowing that my body was simply unable to do what was required. I very quickly worked out that I had Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) and my newly appointed Integrative GP was certain I also had Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), but I wasn't so sure. Yes I was laying down a lot and had limited go-power but I didn't feel excessive tiredness like those with CFS often do.
I consulted with POTS and Allergy Specialists and started seeking further testing and treatments for POTS and CFS, including ultrasounds, exercise intolerance tests (I failed dismally), supplements, acupuncture and wearing compression leggings every day. The compression leggings and acupuncture helped a little but nothing else did. The only time I felt well was when laying down. Over the next few months I became mostly bedbound and housebound.
At times my bodily systems would completely crash and I would be unable to do anything for days. My heart rate would move from dangerously low levels of below 40 bpm (Bradycardia) to over 120 bpm just by standing up.
We needed help with the basics at home, so we paid someone to cook and do chores morning and night because I was unable. I would spend hours and hours in bed or on the couch holding my iPhone looking online for a cure, joining Facebook support groups, watching online health summits and organising medical appointments.
I became so affected I needed 2 low stools on wheels to get around my very small kitchen and bathroom. Standing up to simply brush my teeth was too much. I needed a wheelchair to get through airports and a mobility scooter to go places with my girls, like around the block on scooters or to the park.
I first learned that WiFi might be bad for our health while watching a healthy home summit in bed, holding my iPhone. I learned that there were ways to cable devices and turn off the WiFi. If getting rid of WiFi could make me even 1% better I wanted that. My partner, an IT Tech, dismissed this idea as crazy talk, but agreed to purchase an expensive plug in harmoniser and stickers for our phones instead. This device and the stickers did not reduce my symptoms at all.
This went on for 2 very long years and then suddenly Maddie our then 6 year old daughter became very unwell.
Strangely, that same week Maddie became unwell, my nose started dripping like a tap for no apparent reason. I now believe it was from the same significant EMF exposure that affected Maddie. Within a few weeks I ended up taking a prescription vasoconstrictor medication Midodrine. Midodrine instantly and significantly reduced my POTS symptoms, it was possibly quite dangerous and it was not a cure but now I had a very sick little girl to take care of.
Maddie's Story
Before this story happened, Maddie was a happy, healthy, joyous 6 year old girl loving and living life to the fullest. Then everything changed.....
We didn't know this at the time, and for many months after, but on Wednesday 15 August 2018 5G was switched on across selected areas of the Gold Coast. We lived 550 metres from a significant mobile phone antenna site with 3G, 4G and then 5G. Maddie's bedroom window was facing that antenna site.
Waking up on Friday 17 August 2018, Maddie was unusually hot and said she didn't feel well, presuming she had a virus we kept her home from school. But only an hour later she appeared fine which was strange. Leading up to this day she had always been well but had, in the months and weeks prior, developed coloured spots in her vision, unexplained reflux and had a severe allergic reaction to chemical sunscreen.
Later that evening she started complaining about her pyjamas and refused to wear the full pyjama set to bed. Then the next day she was unable to decide what to wear and was distressed about everything she tried on, it appeared she had developed a sensitivity to clothing. After selecting a very unusual outfit which included a pair of gumboots we finally went out. That evening, she refused to wear any pyjamas at all.
The next day was the same, distress about what she was going to wear and she appeared highly agitated. I remember saying to her Dad "I think there is something really wrong with her". That day we had tickets to a circus, Maddie wore whatever worked for her that day, she wanted me to cover her ears as she was experiencing sensitivity to noise, she needed something soft to sit on and was no longer her usual happy joyous self. That night she refused to sleep with any covers and tossed her treasured plush toy aside as it felt wrong. That night she was unable to get to sleep, so I lay with her for hours, humming to her and waiting for her to finally fall asleep.
By the end of the weekend it was clear something was really wrong and it just got worse. That evening I joined and trawled FB Support Groups for sensitive children posting requests for help and direction. Someone suggested the Failsafe Diet, so I contacted a Failsafe Dietitian, Vivienne Pither, who thankfully supported us over the weekend remotely and arrived Monday morning to help us reduce Maddie's intake of histamines and exposure to other common triggers. The RPAH Elimination [Failsafe] Diet is not something anyone should do long term, if possible, but with hindsight it proved to be the best decision we made at the time, to reduce Maddie's Histamine levels. Vivienne's calm, rational and reliable approach was immensely valuable during this stressful period, which continued for many more months.
On Monday I took her to our GP wrapped in nothing but a sheer soft bamboo baby blanket. They were unable to offer any useful advice. Instead they gave Maddie a stern talking to about getting dressed and getting back to school! We never went back there.
That next week she developed more symptoms: sensitivity to food, natural and unnatural chemicals. She asked me to cut off her ears and hair as they were painful or bothering her somehow, perhaps she had tinnitus, had become sensitive to noise or her skin was burning or tingly. She showed signs of mental confusion and would tell unusual untrue stories liked they'd really happened, she was warm and sweating when sleeping and was still unable to get to sleep. We did notice that she would fall asleep faster in our bedroom. We now realise that the EMF's in our bedroom were much lower as it was not directly in line of sight of the mobile phone antennas and it was further away from our own household WiFi and wireless devices.
That next weekend her symptoms became more concerning as she started to repetitively hit herself in the head with the palm of her hand, telling us it felt better when she did this. We called the After Hours Doctor who could offer no advice.
So we spent 3 weeks at home, with her unable to wear any clothes, feeding her the Failsafe Diet and trying to keep her exposure to other toxins as low as possible.
After 3 weeks at home, Maddie was very keen to go back to school and was willing to try wearing her uniform and putting on shoes. Her sensitivities had reduced a little with the diet, but were not gone. She managed a few hours back at school, then had a reaction to food and needed to go home. As soon as she got in the car the clothes and shoes came off.
This routine continued for the next 10 months as Maddie progressively became weaker, skinnier, paler, puffier, fatigued, dark under the eyes, prone to headaches, collapse and developed eczema. She became intolerant to hot sun and cold weather with Raynaud's like symptoms.
Maddie was drinking 3-4 litres of water a day as she was excessively thirsty.
She developed POTS and would often need to lay down in the car before school and in the classroom.
She would be sent to the school nurse up to 4 times each day, she'd usually feel better in there and happily go back to class. There was no WiFi or wireless devices in there, we later realised.
Maddie also developed pain in her joints, back and legs and struggled to walk at times. She looked so skinny and pale and not like her old self. Most days she wore the same pink floral dress because it had a silky lining in it and it felt ok touching her skin.
The only real progress we made in her recovery was with Glutathione. I had read online that some people with chemical sensitivities need more Glutathione. So I smothered her in Glutathione cream and within 24 hours she had her tanned colour back, her face was less puffy, she fell asleep easily and was able to wear all her clothes again, including skirts and shorts.
Even with daily doses of Glutathione, Maddie was still very unwell and would collapse often. Within 10 minutes of arriving at the local surf club, she would collapse sideways from her chair into my lap. The meals had not yet arrived and I'd carry her out and take her home. This happened 5-6 times before I said to my partner "there is something wrong with this place" and we never went again. We later realised the surf club is only 50 metres from the same mobile phone antenna site that was also affecting our home and the EMF levels in and around that site were extremely high.
The same happened at the National Science and Technology Centre (NSTC) in Canberra. Maddie collapsed mid visit, we borrowed a wheelchair for the remainder of the visit and I carried her to the car. We later learned that the NSTC is also a significant mobile phone antenna site and there are many mobile phone antennas hidden behind the unusual roof design.
We had not yet made the connection that Maddie and I had some of the same symptoms and possibly the same trigger.
Learning about EMF's
In the 10 months, after Maddie became unwell, we consulted with a long list of medical professionals including Allergy, Heart, Hypermobility, EDS, Paediatric and Emergency Specialists, three Integrative GP's, Acupuncturist, Chiropractor, Occupational Therapist and a Psychologist. She was extensively tested for heart issues, bloods, EDS, Lyme Disease, mould, parasites, candida and many other unusual and complex conditions. Her histamine and IgE bloods were always elevated and her NAC and Glutathione were fully depleted, indicating that there was something wrong, but none of these medical professionals could explain what was happening to her or help us further.
I was exploring all possible triggers. including mould. We were not aware of any significant mould exposure but her symptoms were similar to those commonly caused by mould. So we stripped our home of all possible sources for mould growth, looked high and low for hidden mould and tossed out anything that had even the tiniest spot of what looked like mould. We lived in South-East Queensland, a high humidity area, so mould was not uncommon, but we didn't really uncover much of concern. We tossed the carpet, couch, mattresses, curtains, fabric bedframes, fridge, vacuum, drink bottles, books, toys, cushions and just about everything stored in our garage and shed.
We also booked a consult with an Integrative GP and Naturopath team from the The Health Lodge Byron Bay, because we understood they were experienced with mould illness and Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (CIRS).
At the second appointment Naturopath and Founder of The Health Lodge Reine DuBois says to me:
"Susan this is not from mould. Could it be EMF's?"
My reply:
"What are EMF's ?"
And that's how I first learned about the possible dangers of Electromagnetic Fields (EMF's).
Reine recommended we engage a Building Biologist or read the book Healthy Home Healthy Family. I felt I had no time to waste, so I did both.
The ASBB Building Biologists Suzanne Ryan and Narelle McDonald arrived quickly and conducted a thorough review of our home and the local areas for EMF's. They left me with a report I really didn't understand at the time, but they indicated the levels were high. The report did include some useful recommendations and I started to implement some of those immediately. The first steps we took were to install a bed canopy that would shield Maddie from the RF, electric fields and dirty electricity EMF's, remove some wireless devices like the portable speaker, microwave and cordless phone, turn the WiFi off at night and engage electricians to review the electrical wiring.
I read the book Healthy Home Health Family and found many useful resources online including Australians for Safe Technology Facebook Group. Google searches brought up nothing useful, only denials of the risk. You really needed to know where to look to find the credible information about the risks of harm.
I soon discovered that we had a significant collection of mobile phone antennas only 550 metres from our home, including 5G, whatever that was! I also discovered that 5G was turned on at select sites on the Gold Coast only 2 days prior to Maddie becoming unwell. It seemed many were opposed to this 5G, so I started to delve deeper into EMF's, 5G and radio-frequency radiation (RF).
I purchased an EMF meter that measured radio-frequency radiation and started measuring. I consumed this new information about EMF's day and night trying to understand or prove to myself that this was or wasn't the cause, to be sure that I should or should not be looking elsewhere for the trigger or cure.
I came across a presentation by Dr Erica Mallery-Blythe which included the Common Symptoms of Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity Syndrome. Maddie had all of the EHS symptoms and to a severe degree. I urged Maddie's Dad to look at this list. He was shocked and knew he had to take action to reduce her exposure to EMF's quickly.
That weekend a generous friend helped run ethernet cables under the house and up the wall cavities. We connected our laptops, iPhone, iPad and the Smart TV using ethernet adaptors, turned off the antennas in those devices and turned off the WiFi in our modem. We had eliminated all internal sources of radio-frequency radiation (RF) in the home.
That night I recovered from POTS. 3 years of severely disabling symptoms were simply gone. I no longer needed Midodrine or compression leggings and felt amazing, like my old self again. I could walk, stand up, speak, think, breath and I was no longer tired in the evenings. I discovered I could be in the kitchen and cook again, now that the WiFi was off in that space.
Maddie's recovery took longer, maybe 1-2 weeks, until we noticed she could eat most foods again, she was not reacting to chemicals or smells, colour came back to her face, the puffiness subsided and she was comfortable wearing clothing and shoes again. We theorise that her recovery took longer because she was more severely affected, with so many symptoms, and she was still exposed to WiFi and wireless devices at school.
We then consulted Australia's leading medical specialist in Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity for assessment, diagnosis and treatment. We didn't feel the need to get a diagnosis because we were sure knew it was EHS. But we needed medical evidence, to support a request, for Maddie to use an ethernet cabled non-emitting iPad at school and not be placed in classrooms with WiFi routers. After a thorough assessment and review of her extensive bloodwork, this medical specialist diagnosed Maddie with Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity or more specifically with an:
”ICD-10 diagnosis of illness as a result of exposure to non-ionising radiation ‘W90’ with sub-class W90.0: exposure to radiofrequency induced illness and W90.8: exposure to other non-ionising radiation induced illness.”
How this happened
So we believe that my trip to NYC was my final trigger and 5G was Maddie's. But Maddie didn't go to New York and I was affected before 5G was switched on, so how did we both become so affected by different sources at different times?
With 6 years of hindsight, we believe it was cumulative exposure to a range of different EMF's from many sources. The sources we believe most affected us are;
3G, 4G & 5G mobile phone antenna site near our home
WiFi and wireless devices, at home and school
Dirty electricity (DE), dodgy home wiring and magnetic fields at home
Shared environment, genetics and maternal depletion
3G, 4G & 5G mobile phone antenna site near our home
We lived 550 metres from a significant 3G, 4G and 5G antenna site and we believe the 5G antennas at that site were activated on 15 August 2018, 2 days before Maddie first became unwell with EMR Syndrome. The telecommunications company does confirm that 5G went live 15 August 2018 in a press release, on their own website.
I later became familiar with the rfnsa.com.au reports and often monitored the changes to local sites. I noted that when 5G was "proposed" or installed, even by just one telecommunications company at a site, the modelled radio-frequency radiation levels emitting from the site would generally triple, according to those reports.
We don’t believe that 5G caused my illness because it was not a thing in Australia in 2016, but maybe it was in NYC. We don't know. But we do know that 3G and 4G emit the same type of radiation as 5G, radio-frequency radiation (RF) and we now know that many people long before us were severely affected by exposure to 3G and 4G radiation and there is a lot of credible peer-reviewed science that show adverse affects.
I had 5 years and Maddie 7 years (including 5 months in utero) of cumulative exposure radio-frequency radiation from 3G, 4G and then 5G, at that site, before we experienced symptoms of EMF Syndrome. We often swum and played at the beach (100 metres from the antenna site), ate at the Surf Club (50 metres), walked around the block with the dog and kids (500 metres), drove past, lived and slept (550 metres), all with continuous exposure to radio-frequency radiation from that antenna site. We believe that this cumulative exposure to the RF emitting from this mobile phone antenna site was a significant contributor to our illness.
WiFi & wireless devices, at home and school
Our home was small so our bedrooms and everywhere we went inside we were in close proximity to our WiFi modem and wireless devices that emitted radio-frequency radiation (RFR). We owned 1 baby monitor, 1 smart tv, 1 surround sound system, 1 WiFi modem, 1 cordless phone, 1 iPad, 2 Iphones, 2 laptops, 1 portable speaker and a microwave. The number of devices was much the same as most other household but a lot of radio-frequency radiation (RFR) to be emitting in a small space. My symptoms did appear to get worse when I was no longer working, was at home most of the time and using my iPhone more often.
We first gave Maddie an iPad in 2017, after her school suggested we use Apps for educational purposes. She loved playing with the iPad's photo app features and used it a lot when I was lying in bed unwell.
Maddie's school also had WiFi routers and iPads for the children. The typical ratio of WiFi routers was 1 router for every 3 classrooms. But the year Maddie became unwell, she was in a classroom with a WiFi router and both neigbouring rooms also had a WiFi router, which was unusual. A year later, the school told us that they had installed stronger WiFi routers in all Year 1 classrooms because the building they were situated in "was like a bunker" and they had trouble with internet connectivity in those classrooms.
Dirty electricity, dodgy wiring & magnetic fields
The Building Biologists told me that our home had very high levels of Dirty Electricity (DE), with all the devices and airconditioning turned off. They suggested that this might be from the neighbouring home's solar system inverters. We also learned that DE is caused by airconditioning units, most of which have Inverters in them.
We didn't have solar but we did have split system air conditioning units in every room of the house and we used them often, for both heating and cooling. We also had a very small home, so all of our furniture was against a wall and it was hard to avoid being near electrical wiring in those walls. I now know that I can feel DE which emanates from home wiring.
We installed a Demand Switch to stop power circulating to the bedroom electrical circuits at night.
We also learned that we had a higher than expected Magnetic Field in the living and dining room ceiling which was emitting approximately 1-2mG into the area below. We engaged an electrician to try and find the source of this Magnetic Field. The electricians installed a new meter box on the garage wall, so the wiring mains didn't need to cross the living and dining room ceiling and tidied up 99% of the wiring, which was quite old and dodgy. But the Magnetic Field was still there. They'd been working for over a week by then, but we asked them to keep working until they fixed it. And they did. It was the very last wire they replaced, from the home switch board to the external Energex connection that was causing the magnetic field and it was now gone.
Shared environment, genetics & maternal depletion
Maddie and I shared the same home, some genetics and I believe I was depleted of minerals, vitamins and glutathione when I became pregnant with Maddie and throughout that pregnancy.
Whilst I've not delved deep into these areas I do feel they had a significant role to play in us both developing Electromagnetic Radiation Syndrome (EMR Syndrome).
I continue to explore these risk factors in the hope that they might lead to a reversal of our condition fully and forever.
Living with EMR Syndrome
It's been a long journey, but 6 years on we are now living a new healthier way of life, (mostly) symptom free.
We didn't recover from EMR Syndrome rather, we became experts at avoiding EMF's.
Steps to reduce exposure to EMF's
These are the steps we took to reduce our exposure to EMF's:
Removed wireless devices we did not need, like the microwave, baby monitor, portable speaker and cordless phone
Purchased an EMF Meter to find and measure the radiation
Ethernet cabled the WiFi and wireless devices including:
iPad
laptops
iPhones
smart TV
surround sound system
printer
Turned off the WiFi in the modem and WiFi, Bluetooth & Mobile Data antennas in the wireless devices
Removed mobile phones from the bedroom, using battery operated alarm clocks instead
Installed EMF shielding bed canopies to reduce exposure to radio-frequency radiation from 3G, 4G, 5G, neighbour WiFi and also to electric fields and dirty electricity. We now use these for travel.
Rewired the home to fix the magnetic field and relocated the electrical switchboard away from the bedrooms
Installed a Demand Switch to stop power circulating to the bedroom electrical circuits at night
Locked the electrical box, installed a Do Not Install a Smart Meter sign and wrote to the electrical provider requesting that they never install a Smart Meter.
Sold and Moved to escape the high density EMF's in our beachside suburb. The 5G antennas had since been blocked by a new apartment building but we were concerned that 5G small cell antennas might be installed in our street one day soon.
5G in Australia consists of "low-band" antennas on nearly all mobile phone antennas sites and "high-band" small cell antennas, which are installed lower on existing or new utility poles every 100-300 metres, in some suburbs. We could also see 16 wireless device connections in our home and they were not coming from our devices.
We were very sad to be leaving all our beautiful neighbours who were like extended family and always there for us.
We moved to a property on acreage, so we could be further away from mobile phone antenna sites, neighbour WiFi and smart meters. This new property is located approximately 2 kms to the nearest mobile phone antenna site (check rfnsa.com.au) and hidden on the side of a hill behind trees. Mobile phone reception is terrible but we love that. The levels are approximately below 1uW/m2 inside and 1 to 10uW/m2 outside.
2020 - Moved to acreage property to be further away from mobile phone antenna sites, neighbour WiFi & smart meters Locked the electrical box at the new home, installed a Do Not Install a Smart Meter sign and wrote to the electrical provider requesting that the never install a Smart Meter
Relocated the secondary switch board from the pantry to under the home because I could feel the EMF’s from day 1
Second switchboard was moved from the pantry to well below the home. The black box above it is the DE Filter installed by Spectral Design Installed more ethernet cables and adaptors throughout the new home to connect all of our wireless devices including:
2 iPads
3+ laptops
2 iPhones
1 home/office desk phone
1 printer
1 smart TV
1 Nintendo Switch
Sonos speakers and sound system with voice activated 'Hey Google'
Security camera doorbell
Home automation system for the sprinkler system
Turned off the WiFi in the modem and WiFi, Bluetooth & Mobile Data antennas in the wireless devices and learned how to use our wireless devices in a safer manner
Diverted my mobile to a desk/office phone
Shielded the Sonos Speakers and soundbar with aluminium flyscreen to reduce the small amount of Bluetooth they were still emitting
Engaged Marco Simeoni from Spectral Design to install Whole Home Dirty Electricity Filters to reduce DE from our split system airconditioners. Marco also installed an Electrical Kill Switch, to stop power circulating to the bedroom electrical circuits at night, and the Demand Switch was installed to stop power on the lighting and fan circuits, when not in use.
Marco Simeoni from Spectral Design. Marco is both a qualified EMF Tester and Electrician Purchased EMF shielded clothing for travel in the car, on airplanes and to visit high EMF environments
Shielded the car windows with EMF protective window film
Check rfnsa.com.au for mobile phone antennas before going anywhere so we know better routes to take and can check if the area will be safe for us
Homeschooled for 3 years. We did not choose nor enjoy homeschooling, but it was the only option at the time.
Measure often with an EMF Meter to ensure no antennas had become active on our devices
Returning to a low EMF school
Maddie was unable to continue at her much loved school because they were rolling out more WiFi and wireless devices and doing away with books and paper. Also, more children her age were wearing smart watches and bringing mobile phones to school. We took both children out of school and started homeschooling, to protect Maddie from further harm.
Maddie was devastated to be leaving school and cried often for the next 2-3 years begging to return to an on-campus school. We trialled her attending 2 alternative schools, where the children used a lot less technology, but the levels of EMF's were still too high for her.
In late 2023 Maddie's younger sister Izzy said she really wanted to go back to school. So we started exploring options for her, fully expecting that Maddie may not be able to return.
We knew that Maddie was legally entitled to an on-campus education but navigating this poorly understood issue was challenging for everyone. We were aware all schools, both public and private, were required, by Section 136 of the Anti-Discrimination Act 1991, to provide Maddie with reasonable accommodations to make it safe for her, including turning off the WiFi and installing ethernet cables.
We made enquiries at 3 local private schools and toured the campus of 2, measuring with our EMF meter and making mental notes of the EMF and technology situation. The EMF's were too high at 1 of those schools and we didn't love the vibe anyway. But the other school was surprisingly low EMF, it was a much smaller school with smaller class sizes, they appeared to be using technology and WiFi sparingly and the feel-good vibe was really high.
We enrolled both girls to start in 2024 at this beautiful small school Gold Coast Christian College (GCCC). And although hesitant at first, the Teacher, Principals and staff fully embraced the challenge of making the classroom lower EMF, installing ethernet connections for Maddie and measuring with an EMF Meter to keep her safe.
Also, starting in 2024, the Queensland State Government banned mobile phones in Queensland State Schools and GCCC chose to implement that ban. Phones are to be handed in each morning and not returned until home time. This was a significant win for us with one less source of radiation to be concerned about.
We are very grateful to everyone who signed the petition to get mobile phones out of Queensland schools.
The petition, inspired and created by The Heads Up Alliance, was primarily focussed on the important issues of reducing bullying, social isolation, addiction and suicide.
But we now know that reducing the levels of wireless radiation from phones at school will be a massive additional benefit for all children.
We never gave up hope that Maddie would be able to return to school but we didn't expect the transition to be this easy and the school leaders and staff to be so incredibly supportive and open-minded. We are incredibly grateful to them all.
Maddie had an excellent first year back at school in 2023, experiencing no symptoms of Electromagnetic Radiation Syndrome. Maddie was awarded the Year 6 Academic Excellence Award in 2024 and has been elected to the Student Representative Council for 2025. We are so proud of Maddie but also very grateful to the school for making it possible for Maddie to access to these opportunities.
Ongoing symptoms
We do our best to avoid exposure to EMF's but that is becoming increasingly difficult. We want to go outside our home more often, visit friends, go to events, explore the outdoors and travel.
When we are exposed to high levels of EMF's now, the symptoms are a bit different to how we experienced them when we were chronically unwell and fully exposed.
Maddie's ongoing symptoms of exposure, usually in this order of appearance:
Hyperactivity & incessant chatter - does this perhaps explain the behaviour of so many children today?
Sore tummy
Difficultly getting to sleep
Brain change - she will tell unbelievable stories that she believes are true
Emotional distress & crying for no apparent reason
Sensitivity to clothing and shoes
Black under the eyes
Susan's ongoing symptoms of exposure:
Pressure in the head and ears
Tachycardia and then POTS, after a few days of chronic exposure
Ulcers on the lips, nose or eyes, after close exposure to mobile phone antennas
Warm feeling in the neck, throat and chest when exposed to DE
A few days of reduced exposure will resolve these symptoms thankfully.
Living well with EMR Syndrome in the future
We are taking each day as it comes and always learning how to live well with EMR Syndrome. We continue searching for a cure and working to improve our base level of health.
Yes, we are worried about the future but we have hope because awareness of the risks of EMF's is rapidly growing and people are taking action to reduce their exposure to EMF's. This new and growing awareness is mostly due to the mass rollout of 5G in Australia and the related sense of unease about this new technology.
We established Safer EMF to help others reduce their exposure to EMF's, but also to raise awareness of the risks of harm. We hope that our efforts will bring about change and everyone will turn off their WiFi, ethernet cable their devices, learn to use their wireless devices in a safer manner. We also hope that the telecommunications and technology companies will develop and roll out safer technology solutions.
We want Maddie to be free and safe to visit friends, attend music concerts, travel, further her education, have a job and career of her choosing, find a partner, start a family of her own and live a full and healthy life. For this to happen we need everyone else, including you, to help reduce the levels of EMF's on earth.
Stay Safe
Susan
Safer EMF
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