Toxic Town Causes Loss of Fingers and Toes

Imagine having a baby missing one finger on each hand. Now image having an entire group of children born with similar deformities.

One of the most precious moments after birth is the first time a mother or father gets to count all the fingers and toes. For families in one small village those fingers and toes are often missing or deformed. When one family felt they were blessed with a unique child who was missing a few fingers found out that their child was not alone, attention to the area grew until toxic substances were found that could have caused the huge number of birth defects.

Imagine having a baby missing one finger on each hand. Now imagine having an entire group of children born with similar deformities. In Corby, these children are finding a common bond and realizing that Mother Nature was not to blame for their deformities after all. Nearly every one of the parents of the affected children were told that the birth defect was just a mistake in the womb. One mother was even told that nature makes mistakes sometimes and this was one of the those times. When a television network aired word of a possible connection between the children and the reason they were all deformed, it was the first time many of the families had ever heard about the other affected children.

At the root of the problem are 16 toxic pits in the town of Corby. These pits are related to a cleanup effort of an old steelworks factory that ranged from 1985 until 1999. The toxic waste from the steel mill was often transported over the roads in wagons. Each of the 18 children affected with birth defects is linked to the Corby cleanup in one way or another. Their mothers gather together and talk about where they came into contact with the Corby toxic waste and the remaining effects of the clean up that was never completed ( in their words).

Despite the clear connection between the toxic waste and the 18 birth defects, the council does not accept responsibility for the defects. They have been quoted as saying the claims are a "seductive delusion" being used to give reason for the rash of birth deformities. In all reality, the chances of 18 children in a given area all having the same general birth defect without a common cause is astronomical. There is a thread of connection between them and the steelworks plant is enough of a connection for the parents of the children.

The people of Corby are not taking the facts of the case sitting down. They are currently suing the council for reparations in order to make public the lack of support for the families and the horrid acts that lead to the birth defects. Many of the children live in constant pain and are unable to perform common daily tasks like holding a knife or tying their shoes. Birth defects related to toxicity can leech into the births for several generations to follow. The people of Corby are likely to feel the effects of the toxic pits for many generations to come.