Nancy and Jim Chuda

Nancy Chuda: Keeping Children’s Health in Check

Colette was the pride of their lives. Nancy and Jim Chuda had done everything possible to safeguard their young daughter’s health. Colette was even fed organic baby food produced by Nancy’s own baby-food company, Baby’s Choice. But at age four, Colette was diagnosed with a rare cancer known as Wilm’s Tumor. Genetic testing showed that Colette’s cancer was not inherited. The Chudas suspected environmental contamination, a hunch that was later given credence by a study associating Wilm’s Tumor with pesticide exposure.

When Colette died, the Chudas transformed their grief into action. They founded the Colette Chuda Environmental Fund (CCEF) and the Children’s Health Environmental Coalition (CHEC), both dedicated to protecting children by eliminating environmental toxins. CHEC has since prompted a report from the Natural Resources Defense Council Handle with Care: Children and Their Exposure to Carcinogens and helped win a California state law – The Healthy Schools Act – to minimize pesticide use in schools.

According to Nancy, “Most parents don’t even know there is a problem with pesticides.” To help get the message out, CHEC created an educational video starring Olivia Newton John and Kelly Preston. “Not Under My Roof” will be shown in clinics and hospitals around the country, teaching CHEC’s “Recipe for Healthy Children”. The recipe has 5 simple steps to help avoid pesticide exposure.

1. Shop Smart: Buy locally grown or organic food. Wash and peel.
2. Ventilate: Indoor air can be worse than the air outside.
3. Clean with Care: Look for non-toxic labeling because cleaners leave residues.
4. Renovate Right: Caulk to eliminate bug holes where plumbing enters the home.
5. Keep It Out: Avoid pesticides in and around the home because residues enter on shoes.

Visit www.checnet.org or click on the video to order


Nancy Chuda will be featured in the upcoming Generation Green Cookbook, along with other prominent people active in children's environmental health issues. Click here to learn more about Generation Green, or go to a related article on Children's cancer by Generation Green Executive Director Rochelle Davis.