A Stewardess's Story
Dee Passon, who worked as cabin crew for twenty-five years, nineteen of them at British Airways, gave the following interview for this book. Dee has waived patient confidentiality and supplied me with copies of letters from a BA doctor and her general practitioner. She had breast cancer in 2005, three years before she was diagnosed with aerotoxic syndrome, but this was diagnosed early and treated successfully. She feels that her working environment may also have been a contributory factor to the cancer.
‘For a long time I would ask myself, why am I so unlucky? I had a cough. I had chest X-rays that showed nothing. 2002 was the last year I felt well. In the winter 2002/03 I had constant flu-like symptoms. I was shaving my arms, and had aches under the arms. I went to the doctor, and she found that all the glands were swollen. They thought it was glandular fever. I had three tests – all negative. I continued to feel dreadful, but thought that I had never bounced back from the glandular fever. I had sweats; the doctor said it was the menopause. But I also had terrible pains in my arms – I later found out this was caused by peripheral nerve damage.
‘I have a report from Professor Abou-Donia1 that says I have severe nervous system damage. I had high blood pressure, and no reflexes down my left side. I was anaemic – low red blood cell count, for no apparent reason. I was eating healthily, didn’t smoke.
‘The next thing, in 2003 there was a fume event I think. At the time I didn’t know fume events existed. We had a flight in 2004, and so many passengers and crew were ill: on the flight deck, they checked the pressurization, and it was fine. It was only when one crewmember collapsed that it was agreed to do a flight report. I can remember, on that flight I had pins and needles. My lips were blue. I asked the guys at the back, how are you feeling? They said “The same.” One passenger was screaming abuse at her husband. I had to get someone to remind me how to do the oxygen mask [for her]. I had been flying for twenty years but I couldn’t remember. For years, on lots of flights other people were ill and I wasn’t, so I don’t think I’m genetically susceptible but gradually my ability to detoxify became impaired.
‘On one B767 flight, people were projectile vomiting in the aisles. I went round talking to the passengers. There was no common denominator: some had eaten, some hadn’t. I did a report. The only thing they all had was the water on the plane. So I requested a test done on that. They didn’t do that test. I managed to pull out that report from BA files. They had edited it completely. They took out the bits about not having eaten. They were making it sound like air [travel] sickness. It had been stamped “No further investigation required”. I’m pretty sure that flight had contaminated air.
‘Then I got pneumonia. On day six of antibiotics I was scared to go to bed because my lungs were barely working and I thought that if I lay down I might die. We didn’t know it was chemical.
‘It was like looking at the world through a cracked pane of glass: everything was distorted. There was a disconnect from reality. Nothing was making sense. My driving was all over the place. I didn’t understand why until I read Dr Myhill’s2 observation that the eye sees things that the brain doesn’t. I saw things coming towards me, and was asking myself: Is that a car? I was reluctant to agree to go back to work. I only went back for five trips after the pneumonia. When your body has had enough, it doesn’t matter how much you love your job. I thought it would go away when I gave up flying, but every time I get anti-bacterial spray in a restaurant or go near air freshener it comes back.
‘I went back reluctantly after the pneumonia. I thought, I can’t continue to be this unlucky. I did a flight to Phoenix. I had migraine, headache and vomiting for twelve hours. Made it to the flight home. Unlocked the car in the car park and my right arm just wouldn’t work. Fortunately I have an automatic. I got home, tried to make a cup of tea, and I dropped the kettle. I sat down and just started crying. I knew it was neurological.
‘The doctor was completely mystified why I was going downhill. He was lovely – very supportive – he never thought it was just something in my head.
‘I went to Cape Town. The smoke detector went off in the toilet on landing – for no apparent reason. The official reason was “condensation”. I think it was fumes. The next day the purser didn’t turn up [because of sickness].
‘One doctor said, yes … this is organophosphate poisoning. He put aerotoxic syndrome on my diagnosis. Of course, BA hated that. They tried to tell me it was all in my head. I started putting it [this term] in online forums. Every person was told: “You’re the only one.”
‘I compiled a list of thirty-six crew members who had died in a thirty-four-month period. I asked a BA doctor [in a letter]: “One crew member a month dying: do you think there’s a problem?” After my letter about all the deaths I got a phone call from my manager, asking me to see her. This was less than two weeks after the letter. I took my union representative. The BA doctor had said that I could work on the ground in six months’ time. I was expecting us to agree a date [at that meeting]. But she told me “I’m giving you three months’ notice from today.” The union rep said “Are you sacking her?” She couldn’t look me in the eye. I knew it [the order] wasn’t from her.
‘I couldn’t afford to [take BA to an industrial tribunal]. I saw a guy in Crawley who took £1,100 off me. But I had income protection insurance, which paid out. Now I had lost my job. My insurance company sent me to an independent expert, Dr Jenny Goodman. She was brilliant. She said it was definitely aerotoxic syndrome. BA are still trying to make out that it doesn’t exist.
‘I have a letter sent by the BA doctor to my GP. It was the best thing BA could have done. It says there are tests available, but we don’t advise to send your patient for them, because they are invasive. My GP responded “How dare BA tell me how to treat my patient?” That got him on my side. He was really supportive after that. This just shows that the reason they don’t know [about aerotoxic syndrome] is because they’re not looking for anything.
‘I was lucky to have a supportive doctor. Otherwise, I might not be here today.’
(from Aerotoxic Syndrome Aviation’s Darkest Secret by John Hoyte) back to previous page
Dee Passon, who worked as cabin crew for twenty-five years, nineteen of them at British Airways, gave the following interview for this book. Dee has waived patient confidentiality and supplied me with copies of letters from a BA doctor and her general practitioner. She had breast cancer in 2005, three years before she was diagnosed with aerotoxic syndrome, but this was diagnosed early and treated successfully. She feels that her working environment may also have been a contributory factor to the cancer.
‘For a long time I would ask myself, why am I so unlucky? I had a cough. I had chest X-rays that showed nothing. 2002 was the last year I felt well. In the winter 2002/03 I had constant flu-like symptoms. I was shaving my arms, and had aches under the arms. I went to the doctor, and she found that all the glands were swollen. They thought it was glandular fever. I had three tests – all negative. I continued to feel dreadful, but thought that I had never bounced back from the glandular fever. I had sweats; the doctor said it was the menopause. But I also had terrible pains in my arms – I later found out this was caused by peripheral nerve damage.
‘I have a report from Professor Abou-Donia1 that says I have severe nervous system damage. I had high blood pressure, and no reflexes down my left side. I was anaemic – low red blood cell count, for no apparent reason. I was eating healthily, didn’t smoke.
‘The next thing, in 2003 there was a fume event I think. At the time I didn’t know fume events existed. We had a flight in 2004, and so many passengers and crew were ill: on the flight deck, they checked the pressurization, and it was fine. It was only when one crewmember collapsed that it was agreed to do a flight report. I can remember, on that flight I had pins and needles. My lips were blue. I asked the guys at the back, how are you feeling? They said “The same.” One passenger was screaming abuse at her husband. I had to get someone to remind me how to do the oxygen mask [for her]. I had been flying for twenty years but I couldn’t remember. For years, on lots of flights other people were ill and I wasn’t, so I don’t think I’m genetically susceptible but gradually my ability to detoxify became impaired.
‘On one B767 flight, people were projectile vomiting in the aisles. I went round talking to the passengers. There was no common denominator: some had eaten, some hadn’t. I did a report. The only thing they all had was the water on the plane. So I requested a test done on that. They didn’t do that test. I managed to pull out that report from BA files. They had edited it completely. They took out the bits about not having eaten. They were making it sound like air [travel] sickness. It had been stamped “No further investigation required”. I’m pretty sure that flight had contaminated air.
‘Then I got pneumonia. On day six of antibiotics I was scared to go to bed because my lungs were barely working and I thought that if I lay down I might die. We didn’t know it was chemical.
‘It was like looking at the world through a cracked pane of glass: everything was distorted. There was a disconnect from reality. Nothing was making sense. My driving was all over the place. I didn’t understand why until I read Dr Myhill’s2 observation that the eye sees things that the brain doesn’t. I saw things coming towards me, and was asking myself: Is that a car? I was reluctant to agree to go back to work. I only went back for five trips after the pneumonia. When your body has had enough, it doesn’t matter how much you love your job. I thought it would go away when I gave up flying, but every time I get anti-bacterial spray in a restaurant or go near air freshener it comes back.
‘I went back reluctantly after the pneumonia. I thought, I can’t continue to be this unlucky. I did a flight to Phoenix. I had migraine, headache and vomiting for twelve hours. Made it to the flight home. Unlocked the car in the car park and my right arm just wouldn’t work. Fortunately I have an automatic. I got home, tried to make a cup of tea, and I dropped the kettle. I sat down and just started crying. I knew it was neurological.
‘The doctor was completely mystified why I was going downhill. He was lovely – very supportive – he never thought it was just something in my head.
‘I went to Cape Town. The smoke detector went off in the toilet on landing – for no apparent reason. The official reason was “condensation”. I think it was fumes. The next day the purser didn’t turn up [because of sickness].
‘One doctor said, yes … this is organophosphate poisoning. He put aerotoxic syndrome on my diagnosis. Of course, BA hated that. They tried to tell me it was all in my head. I started putting it [this term] in online forums. Every person was told: “You’re the only one.”
‘I compiled a list of thirty-six crew members who had died in a thirty-four-month period. I asked a BA doctor [in a letter]: “One crew member a month dying: do you think there’s a problem?” After my letter about all the deaths I got a phone call from my manager, asking me to see her. This was less than two weeks after the letter. I took my union representative. The BA doctor had said that I could work on the ground in six months’ time. I was expecting us to agree a date [at that meeting]. But she told me “I’m giving you three months’ notice from today.” The union rep said “Are you sacking her?” She couldn’t look me in the eye. I knew it [the order] wasn’t from her.
‘I couldn’t afford to [take BA to an industrial tribunal]. I saw a guy in Crawley who took £1,100 off me. But I had income protection insurance, which paid out. Now I had lost my job. My insurance company sent me to an independent expert, Dr Jenny Goodman. She was brilliant. She said it was definitely aerotoxic syndrome. BA are still trying to make out that it doesn’t exist.
‘I have a letter sent by the BA doctor to my GP. It was the best thing BA could have done. It says there are tests available, but we don’t advise to send your patient for them, because they are invasive. My GP responded “How dare BA tell me how to treat my patient?” That got him on my side. He was really supportive after that. This just shows that the reason they don’t know [about aerotoxic syndrome] is because they’re not looking for anything.
‘I was lucky to have a supportive doctor. Otherwise, I might not be here today.’
(from Aerotoxic Syndrome Aviation’s Darkest Secret by John Hoyte) back to previous page
