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Mother gets mixed messages about son's health after potential lead exposure

Rachel Jones’ 4-year-old son, Williams, is in a special needs pre-K class at Reed Elementary.       

A mother of a boy with autism in Tacoma says the potential lead exposure to children in the school district is hitting her family especially hard. 

She is also getting mixed messages on whether her son is actually at risk.        

Rachel Jones' 4-year-old son William is in a special needs pre-K class at Reed Elementary.       

In a recently revealed report, the school tested for dangerously high levels of lead.

Jones decided to keep her son out of school for now, even though the campus is making bottled water available for students and staff.

Jones says exposure to lead-contaminated water could be responsible for his regression in recent months.

“It’s almost like a slap in the face because he’s worked so hard to get to where he’s at,” says Jones. “Out of nowhere we got back to him having aggression, biting, hitting for no reason.”

Technicians collected water samples from Reed and Mann Elementary this week to check for the source of contamination.

Jones says her pediatrician initially did not recommend her son get tested for lead saying he's likely not at risk.
But she pushed it for it anyway, after talking with officials at the health department.

“How much does a test cost?” says Jones. “Why not just do it and be done with it even if it’s just for my peace of my mind as a parent.”

We also reached out to a family physician in Tacoma, Dr. Dan Krebs. He’s not Jones doctor but he says a number of patients has contacted him this week with concerns about lead in the water.

“If anyone has concerns about lead in water, they should come see a doctor,” says Krebs.

Krebs  says symptoms of lead poisoning can be vague, ranging from nausea to fatigue and lead testing should be standard for kids at around 1 or 2 years old.

“If your child has not been screened before, they should be screened for lead,” says Krebs.

Rachel Jones recently lost another son, who was just 11 months old, in a car accident.

She says she couldn't imagine anything happening to William and she can't take any chances.

“Maybe if they lose a child, they will understand,” says Jones. “There’s no amount of money that’s worth a child.”

KIRO 7 reached out to the Tacoma School District today.

They still don’t have an estimated time on when they will get results back from water samples collected at Reed and Mann Elementary Schools this week.