Billy, 1998

The evacuation of Love Canal was not the end of the tragedy it was just the
beginning. The devastation continues to affect thousands of people, several who
have never even set foot on the land. The tragedy is not a thing of the past; it
persistently haunts many innocent people every day of their lives physically and
emotionally.
  
Miscarriages, birth defects, and health related issues were not uncommon to the
children of former Love Canal residents. In the summer of 1998 our family was
devastated after receiving news that my younger brother, Billy, who was
4-years-old at the time, had developed a brain tumor. After spending 2 months in
Children’s Hospital in Buffalo, he was sent home to continue his recovery. The
unexplained tumor is likely the result of the chemicals our mother was exposed
for 21 years of her life as she grew up on the toxic wasteland.

This series depicts one of the many days in Billy’s life that was spent at Children’s
Hospital as he worked on his recovery. This little boy, who never set foot on the
Love Canal, was severely affected by the toxins that were placed in the land decades
before he was born.


Tricia Butski