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How a California dad is surviving the incurable disease caused by common kitchen item that’s killed dozens
Yahoo • • health
Key Points:
- Enrique Gonzalez, a San Fernando Valley stone worker diagnosed with silicosis, received a double lung transplant that has significantly improved his health after two years of being unable to work due to the incurable disease.
- Silicosis cases in California have surged dramatically, rising from 31 in 2019 to 631 recently, with many workers developing severe lung damage from cutting engineered quartz countertops containing high silica levels.
- The disease has led to at least 31 deaths and 65 lung transplants over the past eight years, predominantly affecting men around the age of 52, with many cases likely undiagnosed or diagnosed late.
- Gonzalez's family is pursuing legal action against companies they hold responsible for his illness, as improved health post-transplant now allows him to participate in the lawsuit process.
- The family's financial situation has been strained due to Gonzalez's inability to work, relying on GoFundMe donations, while California's Occupational Safety and Health Administration highlights the health risks linked to the booming engineered stone industry.
