{"id":"HHS-OASH-2026-0397-4391","number":"4391","name":"Anonymous Anonymous","organization":"","posted":"2026-10-24T04:00Z","received":"2026-10-16T04:00Z","body":"Subject: A Daughter’s Letter of Concern for the HHS Hearing on EMF Dangers and Electromagnetic Sensitivity\n\nDear Members of Congress and Department of Health and Human Services Officials,\n\nI am writing as a daughter who has witnessed the devastating impact that my mother’s health struggles have had on her life and our family. I urge you to take seriously the experiences of people reporting electromagnetic sensitivity and investigate the potential health effects of radiofrequency radiation (RFR) and electromagnetic fields (EMFs).\n\nMy mother is an RN, BSN, with 19 years of experience in ICU, case management, and integrative wellness. Her issues began after Wi-Fi was introduced in her ICU workplace and nurses were required to wear wireless communication devices on their bodies (i.e., Vocera) throughout their shifts. At the same time, wireless exposures increased in our neighborhood and home. She began experiencing headaches, burning and ringing ears, head pressure, and a wired/ shaky sensation. Her previously mild, intermittent supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) worsened dramatically, and she developed non-sustained ventricular tachycardia (NSVT). She later developed mast cell activation syndrome.\n\nA day at a remote state park without cellular service or Wi-Fi brought striking relief from her symptoms. She repeatedly compared how she felt at the park, at work, and at home, and used an RF meter to assess environmental exposures. These experiences led her to realize that her symptoms and heart rhythm disturbances were associated with her exposure environments. Ultimately, she had to leave her in-hospital nursing career to protect her health.\n\nWatching my mother endure these challenges and give up work she was trained and dedicated to doing has been deeply concerning. Our family had to make enormous financial sacrifices to find a place where she felt better. We purchased land and downsized to a small, older home near the state park, where we could reduce exposures and obtain an electric utility arrangement permitting smart-meter opt-out. Even with these sacrifices, our experience has shown how difficult it can be to find alternatives. Many families simply cannot afford to leave their homes, change jobs, or relocate.\n\nNo family should have to make these choices to protect a loved one’s health. No one should have to choose between earning a living, attending school, receiving medical care, and seeking an environment in which they feel safe.\n\nI urge HHS and lawmakers to take the following actions:\n\nInvestigate potential health effects. Support rigorous, independent research into non-thermal effects of RFR and extremely low-frequency electric and magnetic fields, including possible cardiac, neurological, oxidative stress, mast-cell-related, and metabolic effects such as insulin resistance.\nReassess exposure standards. Review current safety limits in light of the full scientific literature, including research on biological effects beyond tissue heating, cumulative exposures, long-term effects, and vulnerable populations.\nProtect people in essential environments. Evaluate wireless exposures in hospitals, schools, workplaces, and residential neighborhoods. Where feasible, provide lower-exposure spaces and practical alternatives for people reporting electromagnetic sensitivity.\nProtect informed choice. Support reasonable smart-meter opt-out provisions and alternatives to unnecessary wireless technologies, without imposing undue financial penalties or denying essential services.\nListen to scientists and affected families. Invite independent researchers, medical professionals, and people reporting symptoms to testify. Review the BioInitiative Report (https://bioinitiative.org/) and consider inviting its contributing researchers and Andrew Marino, MD, PhD, to discuss research concerning RFR and electric and magnetic fields.\n\nAs a daughter, I worry not only about my mother's health but also about what these questions could mean for children and future generations. Wireless technology is increasingly present in schools, hospitals, homes, and public spaces. We need responsible investigation and evidence-based safeguards rather than assuming that existing standards address every possible risk.\n\nI recognize that my mother's experience alone cannot establish scientific causation. However, her experience deserves serious consideration alongside the broader scientific literature. People experiencing these symptoms deserve compassion, appropriate medical evaluation, and research that neither dismisses their concerns nor presumes conclusions before the evidence is assessed.\n\nPlease use your authority to ensure HHS investigates these concerns thoroughly, supports independent research, and develops policies that protect public health without placing the burden of exposure avoidance on individuals and families who are already struggling.\n\nThank you for your attention to this important public health concern. \n\n","attachments":["https://downloads.regulations.gov/HHS-OASH-2026-0397-4391/attachment_1.pdf"],"attachment_inventory":true,"withheld":false,"source":"https://www.regulations.gov/comment/HHS-OASH-2026-0397-4391","tags":["child-development","health-experiences","biology-metabolism","exposure-places","policy-standards","research-evidence"],"source_hash":"aadae86af11e4d0bf0ac46e53eeccbdbec43b5e8bab2fd3ebeb70d6b9a3f2f57","slug":"child-development-comment-4391","classification":{"id":"HHS-OASH-2026-0397-4391","body_sha256":"3a82ec8b95461b6cd0ddb409a8e6bee648bba8e0c307b904a06cb4ba7e1388d9","status":"ai_reviewed","primary_topic":"ehs","topics":[{"id":"ehs","evidence":"eriously the experiences of people reporting electromagnetic sensitivity and investigate the potential health effects of radiofrequency r"},{"id":"cardiac","evidence":"sensation. Her previously mild, intermittent supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) worsened dramatically, and she developed non-sustained ven"},{"id":"neurological","evidence":"eighborhood and home. She began experiencing headaches, burning and ringing ears, head pressure, and a wired/ shaky sensation. Her previously mil"},{"id":"occupational","evidence":"sues began after Wi-Fi was introduced in her ICU workplace and nurses were required to wear wireless communication devices "},{"id":"wifi","evidence":"integrative wellness. Her issues began after Wi-Fi was introduced in her ICU workplace and nurses were required to wear wireless c"},{"id":"smart-meters","evidence":"n an electric utility arrangement permitting smart-meter opt-out. Even with these sacrifices, our experience has shown how diffic"},{"id":"access","evidence":"xposure environments. Ultimately, she had to leave her in-hospital nursing career to protect her health.\n\nWatching my mother endure these challeng"},{"id":"research","evidence":"nvestigate potential health effects. Support rigorous, independent research into non-thermal effects of RFR and extremely low-frequency elec"},{"id":"standards","evidence":"etabolic effects such as insulin resistance.\nReassess exposure standards. Review current safety limits in light of the full scientific li"},{"id":"children","evidence":"so about what these questions could mean for children and future generations. Wireless technology is increasingly present in schools, hospita"},{"id":"mechanisms","evidence":"s, including possible cardiac, neurological, oxidative stress, mast-cell-related, and metabolic effects such as insulin resist"}],"summary":"The commenter recounts a mother’s reported wireless-related illness, arrhythmias, job loss and family relocation, acknowledges limits of personal testimony, and seeks research, revised standards, accommodations and informed choice.","reviewed_at":"2026-10-24T20:09:12Z","review_method":"Full comment-text review with exact source evidence; attachments not reviewed","review_source_sha256":"32ecea87c3d7cb0de044b93d31f78817a28b3f86a95e2e5f8e38caf93acd9883","source_url":"https://rfsafe.net/hhs-comments/data/catalog.json","scope":"Original comment body; attachments excluded"},"forum_topics":["ehs","cardiac","neurological","occupational","wifi","smart-meters","access","research","standards","children","mechanisms"],"primary_topic":"ehs","forum_title":"The commenter recounts a mother’s reported wireless-related illness, arrhythmias, job loss and family rel…"}