Michael Dale Bastin, (youngest son of James Glen Bastin and Edith (Presley) Bastin, grandson of James Cordis and Ilene (Waddell) Bastin of Barren County, KY, and my younger brother) died at the age of three from cancer. (A tribute to Michael is located on our mom's webpage.)
No definite cause for his cancer was ever found, but it is possible that it was related to the extensive open air testing of nuclear weapons conducted in the western US during the late 1950's. These tests put large amounts of nuclear fallout into the jetstream, which in turn fell to earth with rain and snow over the entire eastern half of the US, including south-central Kentucky. Although it is not a proof of this, the rate of infant/toddler deaths due to cancer and leukemia did rise as the testing continued, and fell after the testing stopped, especially among milk-drinking toddlers. Those toddlers who were on soy-based formula largely avoided exposure to the concentrated radioactive Iodine (I-131, which has a half-life of only 8 days) concentrated in cow's milk. (Interestingly, another pathway involved all individuals who consumed food from home gardens.) Also, the incidence of skin cancer rose during this same era, falling afterwards. The total number of deaths estimated to have been caused by these tests is in the many tens of thousands when the probability density function is integrated over the years following exposure. (And, the risk is still present for those baby boomers born in the years from 1951-1958, even to this day, from thyroid cancer!)
For further information on this era's radioactive fallout, and for a better understanding of the recently published research, check out the following:
Michael's tombstone sank in the summer of 1998, and had to be re-set. This photo was taken before the repairs were completed. (Photo taken in summer of 1998. Courtesy of Michael's and my sister, Glenda Bastin. Thank you, Glenda.)
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