A Silent Killer Among Kentucky Homes

When Lois Turner Dees went to the doctor with a cough in 2011, she never imagined she would be diagnosed with lung cancer.

As a non-smoker, she said she didn’t think she was at risk.

She later found out that high levels of radon gas in her home could have caused her illness.

“The measurement was 32 in my basement. And suggested safe rates are zero to four,” Dees said. “Mine was eight times the recommended level.”

Now she wants to spread the word about radon testing so others don’t fall victim to the same “silent killer”.

According to the Kentucky Association of Radon Professionals, radon is the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers and one out of every 15 homes have unsafe levels.

Realtor Missy Ward said about half of her homebuyers perform the test.

“Many people don’t really know what radon is or how it is. I mean it’s odorless, tasteless gas,” Ward said. “But we always try to educate them on the dangers.”

Today, Dees has a pump installed to remove the radon from her home.

She said it would have been a simple fix years ago.

“My life would be totally different because now so much of my life unfortunately is focused on my healthcare.”

For more information on radon and radon testing, visit KentuckyRadon.org.