Inset: Cheyenne Dunham (Newcomer Cincinnati). Background: The Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant in Ohio is accused of causing the “rare” health complications that led to Cheyenne Dunham’s death (Department of Energy).
An Ohio teenager tragically passed away from complications related to a bone marrow transplant, which her mother claims were the result of a rare genetic condition caused by radiation exposure from a nearby nuclear facility. Before her death, the teen was diagnosed with a significant blood clot in her hip and additional clots in her lungs.
According to a 52-page lawsuit filed by her mother, Cheyenne Dunham grew up eating vegetables such as corn, tomatoes, and beans, all cultivated in a garden close to the nuclear plant. From ages four or five into her teenage years, Cheyenne lived near the plant, often playing in and drinking from a nearby creek.
Julia Dunham, Cheyenne’s mother, has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Centrus Energy, claiming the company is responsible for her 19-year-old daughter’s death in 2015. Appointed as the administrator of Cheyenne’s estate in October, Julia initiated the lawsuit against Centrus Energy in late November, alleging that radiation from the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant, commonly known as PORTS, caused Cheyenne’s medical issues.
The nuclear facility was shut down in 2001 over environmental concerns, including its proximity to a school just two miles away and numerous residences in the area.
On May 13, 2019, Zahn’s Corner Middle School in Piketon was unexpectedly closed following the detection of “enriched uranium” within the building, as outlined in Julia Dunham’s lawsuit. Cheyenne attended this school from fourth to sixth grade.
The lawsuit claims that during her time at Zahn’s Corner, Cheyenne was exposed to radionuclides that exceeded federal safety limits and further alleges her exposure to similar hazards in the surrounding Piketon community.
From birth until “age 4 or 5,” Cheyenne and her family lived at a house located at 257 Bailey Chapel Road in Piketon, Ohio, which bordered PORTS. She attended kindergarten through third grade at Jasper Elementary, which is also in close proximity to PORTS.
“When Cheyenne Dunham was about 16 years old, she began to experience health problems,” the complaint says. “One day her legs turned blue.”
Cheyenne’s mother says she took the teen to a family health facility, which “immediately” transferred her to an emergency room at Southern Ohio Medical Center after she was diagnosed with blood clots in her legs, including the 12-inch clot in her left hip.
Cheyenne was given blood thinners and referred to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, where she was diagnosed with GATA Deficiency, a rare condition that affects the blood and the immune system, according to the complaint.
“To treat this rare condition, Cheyenne Dunham underwent two separate bone marrow transplants, in an attempt to avoid developing Acute Myeloid Leukemia, which was likely to result in death,” the complaint explains. “Following the second bone marrow transplant in February of 2015, Cheyenne became very sick. By May of 2015, her body was rejecting the bone marrow transplant, and her liver cells were under attack. She was in pain and struggled for months before her death.”
Cheyenne died at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital on Nov. 15, 2015, with the immediate cause of death being GVHD or Graft-versus-Host Disease “as a consequence of a bone marrow transplant and GATA 1 Mutation,” the complaint says. She allegedly suffered from “chronic fatigue, weakness, constant infections, fear of infections, including multiple blood and iron infusions” before dying.
“Her death was directly and proximately a result from her exposure to radionuclides released from PORTS in excess of federal regulatory limits,” the complaint concludes. “At no time following Cheyenne Dunham’s diagnosis did plaintiff Julia Dunham or Cheyenne Dunham know, nor should plaintiff or Cheyenne Dunham have reasonably known, that Cheyenne Dunham’s chronic diseases and death were related to radiation exposure resulting from defendants’ violations of federal regulations, because no competent medical authority ever informed plaintiff Julia Dunham or Cheyenne Dunham of any such relationship.”
The lawsuit includes studies of the area around the uranium plant that allegedly show high levels of radiation and data tracking cancer rates in Ohio. The counties that contain and are adjacent to the plant — Pike, Scioto, Vinton, Adams, and Lawrence Counties — are among those having the highest cancer rates in Ohio, the complaint says.
“A preliminary review of statewide cancer data recently obtained from the Ohio Department of Health revealed a large excess of childhood blood cancer in the area immediately surrounding the plant,” the complaint alleges.
Julia Dunham is demanding a trial by jury and monetary damages for Cheyenne’s funeral and burial costs, as well as medical expenses. Centrus did not respond to Law&Crime’s requests for comment on Monday.
