The Missing Map: Why Haakon County’s Health History depends on us.

If you have spent any time in our local coffee shops or at community gatherings you have likely heard the same quiet, troubling questions. “Why does it feel like there is so much cancer here?”

As someone who grew up in this tight-knit community, Courtney McDaniel — working with the Cancer Cluster Research Project —  has wondered about this for years. “Is it simply because we know everyone’s business, so we feel the weight of every diagnosis more acutely? Is it because we have an exceptional medical team that catches illness earlier than most? Or is it something environmentally — something in our soil or our water — that has been quietly affecting us for generations?”

People have lived with these questions for too long. It is time for official answers. 

“Currently, our state’s ‘medical detectives’ — the state Epidemiology Department — are tasked with examining entire populations to determine the Who, What, Where and Why of a disease. However, they are working with an incomplete file. In South Dakota, mandatory cancer reporting did not begin until 2005. This leaves a massive ‘data gap’ for 1960’s, 70’s,80’s, 90’s and early 2000’s,” said McDaniel.

If an environmental exposure occurred in 1980, the states’ current databases might never see it. That is why the Cancer Cluster Research Project was born: to conduct the retrospective detective work required to complete our community’s story.

“To make this research work, we aren’t just looking at current residents. We are searching for every diagnosis linked to our area,” said McDaniel.

The South Dakota State Department is specifically asking for information regarding:

*Former Residents: People who grew up here but were diagnosed after moving to other parts of the world. 

* Family members & neighbors: Those who have tragically passed on but whose history is a vital piece of the puzzle.

*Cases after 2005: By filling out the form for a diagnosis made from 2005 to the present, you are helping the state verify the official records and ensuring that every case in Haakon County is accurately mapped. Your localized data helps us confirm that no “cluster” patterns are being overlooked by state-level statistics. 

McDaniel stated, “Many of you have reached out, attended Cancer Cluster Research Project sessions, and filled out reporting forms. Your data is the evidence we need to build a case for a formal state investigation. If you have not shared your family’s story, please join us.”

Forms may be picked up at Ernie’s Building Center, Midland Food & Fuel, The Ridge, Kook’s Steak House, 73-Saloon and Senechal apartments.

Connect Facebook page online: Cancer Cluster Research project for updates
Call Courtney McDaniel @ 605-254-3881 or email Courtney.mcdaniel111@gmail.com for more information or questions.  She will be collecting the forms through March 28th. 
Courtney concluded in saying, “We all want and need answers. By documenting our past and present, we are not just looking backwards; we are protecting the health of the generations who will grow up in Haakon County long after we are gone.”