Poisoned
How a Crime-Busting Prosecutor Turned His Medical Mystery into a Crusade for Environmental Victims
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4.0 • 3 Ratings
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- $29.99
Publisher Description
After years of prosecuting hard-core criminals, rising legal star Alan Bell took a private sector job in South Florida’s newest skyscraper. Suddenly, he suffered such bizarre medical symptoms, doctors suspected he’d been poisoned by the Mafia. Bell’s rapidly declining health forced him to flee his glamorous Miami life to a sterile “bubble” in the remote Arizona desert.
As his career and marriage dissolved, Bell pursued medical treatments in a race against time, hoping to stay alive and raise his young daughter, his one desperate reason to keep going. He eventually discovered he wasn’t poisoned by a criminal, but by his office building. His search for a cure led him to discover the horrifying truth: his tragedy was just the tip of the iceberg. Millions of people fall ill and die each year because of toxic chemical exposures—without knowing they’re at risk.
Stunned by what he discovered, Bell chose to fight back, turning his plight into an opportunity. Despite his precarious health, he began collaborating with scientists dedicated to raising awareness about this issue. Soon, he also found himself drawn back into the legal field, teaming up with top lawyers fighting for those who had already fallen ill.
Both a riveting medical mystery and a cautionary tale, this book puts a human face on the hidden truths behind toxic dangers assaulting us in our everyday environments—and offers practical ways to protect ourselves and our children.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Bell's account of his struggles with devastating health problems caused by his exposure to environmental toxins is by turns horrifying and inspirational. Bell was a highly successful Florida attorney, happily married, and the father of a young daughter when his world fell apart in 1989: out of the blue, he began experiencing dizziness, joint pain, and fever that made it increasingly difficult for him to function. The cause of his symptoms remained a mystery until 1991, when he was diagnosed with an environmental illness caused by the office building he'd been working in. That diagnosis didn't end the story, as Bell spent years searching for a cure or even a palliative treatment. His ordeal took a serious toll on his family life. The story has a positive ending, as Bell was able to harness everything he'd learned about the scope of environmental illness to advocate for increased resources to research the problem. By framing the political issue in such personal terms, Bell strengthens his call to action.
