Flint Water Crisis: Long-Term Health Effects on Children

On top of the every day hassle of living with the Flint Water Crisis, the Flint community is facing the reality of short and long-term health issues their families are having to deal with. It has been two years since officials informed residents that their tap water was unsafe to drink because of toxic levels of lead.  In that time, Flint mother Lee-Anne Walters has seen her two 5-year old twin boys suffer from developmental issues including not growing properly for their age, a form of memory loss that makes it difficult for them to remember their colors and ABCs and hand-eye coordination problems.

It is not only the physical and visible effects the family has to cope with but the psychological impact as well. Ms. Walters said that she has had to deal with questions from her young sons like, “Can the doctor fix us? Are we going to die? Is there medicine?”

She says she has to explain the situation to them since they can use up to 240 bottles a day to get through any given day with cooking, drinking and bathing. In addition to that, they often boil the tap water as part of their routine. As she puts it, “…there’s nothing more fundamental than not being able to turn on your kitchen sink and trust the quality of the water.”

Read More: Four Flint Officials Charged in Water Crisis

Read More: State Officials to Provide Flint Residents with New Faucets

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