Tonight, 11 year-old Alexander Montejo, a resident of the Lake Independence area in Belize City, is at the Intensive Care Unit at the KHMH. His mother says that his health is severely compromised, and that he is at risk of dying.
She has shown us a letter from the doctor, which says that Alexander's illness is caused by smoke that wafts into his house from a tortilla factory next door. She says that she also has another neighbor who has been improperly disposing of fecal waste.
For legal reasons, we can't tell you exactly where this family lives, and we cannot show you the tortilla factory, or the neighbor's house. At this time, this is only an allegation, and neither of these 2 neighbors have responded to our requests for comment. But, Alexander's mother, Jennifer Arana, came to us complaining that she has nowhere else to turn to, for help.
Here's how she explained her family's ordeal, and what she sees as indifference from the Ministry of Health:
Jennifer Arana - Worried About Son's Health
"I have both neighbors, 1, he has this corn tortilla factory that he runs. It is his livelihood. I have no problem with that. But, what is wrong with the corn tortilla factory is that it's causing smoke in the house. The corn tortilla factory smokes from 3 in the morning, until 4 in the evening, Sunday to Sunday, every day. That is his livelihood, but what is affecting me about this corn tortilla factory is that it is causing bacteria in my child's lungs. He cannot go to school. He cannot walk. He cannot eat. He's not a normal person anymore. We've been in and out of the intensive care from June of last year. As well, I have another neighbor, who is throwing faeces - sh** - in the yard, which you can see yourself. Now, that is an environmental risk. It creates and odor in the house. It creates bacteria in the air, and it stays in the house, and it lingers."
Daniel Ortiz
"And it affects your son's health as well."
Jennifer Arana
"It affects his health, his health. He wasn't sick before. We've never been in the hospital. I have the hospital records, which I will present to you. I have the hospital bills, which I will present to you, because of both of these neighbors. I have talked to them. I've tried to reason, but it is to no avail. We are in the intensive care right now, and he's fighting for his life. He is fighting for his life. I don't know where in Belize I can get a pair of lungs. I cannot give him because I smoke. I smoke weed. I smoke cigarettes. I smoke philly. I smoke. I cannot give him my lungs. My neighbors, will not give me their lungs. So, I don't know what the Government will do about this."
Daniel Ortiz
"Have you tried approaching the health department, the Ministry of Health, in any kind of way to at least come and inspect for themselves if whether or not this particular set up is a health risk to you and your family?"
Jennifer Arana
"I went to the health in December, and I went to the Health again yesterday. And, I was advised that the Health Department needs to come and do an investigation themselves, while I'm suffering, while he's suffering. Now, the Health Department explained to me that they need to go from neighbor to neighbor, and see if it is affecting them. I'm not too really bothered and concerned if it is affecting my neighbors, but it is affecting me, my child, and my job, my livelihood, his livelihood, his school... It's affecting him."
Arana is hoping that the appropriate government officials will see her family's plight, and take necessary action.
We went looking for the next door neighbor who wasn't at home. We also went to the Tortilla factory, but we did not find the owner. His employees tell us that he has been considering for some time now to extend the length of his factory's chimney.
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