Rachel ’ s headstone . Photo courtesy of Todd Smith . ( Photo : UtahRadon . org )
Todd and Rachel ' s children have shown an impressive level of resiliency and emotional intelligence , but the loss of a wife , mother , and daughter is painful for all involved . " I ' m so proud of [ my kids ] in their ability to identify their emotions all while allowing themselves to be happy and hopeful . As for me , while I don ' t feel like I ' m constantly suffocating anymore , I do realize that my heart is broken and I will forever have an emptiness inside of me ."
What you need to know about radon
Radon is a radioactive gas that is present throughout the state of Utah . It is created when uranium in the ground decays , and Utah soil is riddled with uranium . After radon is released , it rises out of the ground and can enter homes through even the smallest pores and cracks in a foundation . If the gas concentrates inside and someone is exposed to it for a long enough period of time , there is a strong chance they will develop non‐smoking lung cancer because radon changes the DNA in lungs .
One in three Utah homes have high radon levels — and some data shows it may be closer to one in two homes . The good news is if your home has a high radon level , a simple radon mitigation system can lower the concentration of the gas to safer levels .
This is such an easy thing to test for ‐ you have virtually nothing to lose and potentially everything to gain by being informed . – Todd Smith