Darlene Medley moved into her Northside apartment in April of 2022. By November, her twin sons were poisoned by lead.

 

Medley’s landlord never told her about the lead in her home. He also avoided taking any responsibility.

 

Medley spoke to legislators and reporters about her situation, hoping they would help. But by the time Medley drove back home, her landlord was there.

 

“He owns so many properties, which I didn’t think about,” Medley said. “He was yelling at me, asking why I was talking about him to his ‘friends in high places.’”

 

The city later became aware of Medley’s case and sued the landlord.

 

Medley’s children are of the many in Syracuse who are victims of lead poisoning. Childhood lead poisoning rates in Syracuse are high. Lead poisoning is directly linked to the city’s inadequate housing and landlords ignoring traces of it in their properties.

 

Lead-based paint was not banned in the United States until 1978. Over 90% of homes currently occupied in Syracuse were built before then and contain lead paint. According to the Onondaga County Health Department, 10, 234 children in Syracuse were tested for lead in 2023, 460 were found to have elevated lead levels. Elevated lead levels means lead in blood that is above 5 micrograms per deciliter.

 

Travis Hobart, Medical Director of Upstate University Hospital’s Lead Poisoning Center, said that lead is in the paint and water pipes of homes.

 

“Paint with lead will break down over time,” Hobart said. “Young children spend a lot of time on the floor, and may put that chipped paint into their mouth.”

 

The most at risk are one and two-year-olds because they are in their early developmental years. According to Hobart, lead affects brain development– a decrease in IQ, trouble with attention, difficulty with decision making.

 

The main option for treating lead in the body is just letting it naturally eliminate the lead over time. Although, the damage the lead does while in the body can be harmful.

 

 “If you have chronic exposure, then the lead can get into your bones, soft tissues, organs and skin,” Hobart said. “The bones are where they take the longest, it can actually stay there for decades.”

To treat the lead in the home, families will be told that the best treatment is to remove the lead from the property entirely– but that takes a lot of work, money and relocation.

 

The next best thing which happens, according to Hobart, is the lead paint being covered by a lead-free paint. Although, this means that the lead is still in the home, and the paint can begin to chip over time, again. 

 

“We shouldn’t be finding the problem in the child’s blood test,” Hobart said. “We should be finding the problem in the home’s blood test.”

 

However, Onondaga Data shows a decrease in traces of lead found in children in recent years. 1,050 children had elevated lead levels in 2012, 590 more than 2023.

 

Kiara Van Brackle, a Medical Sociology Ph.D. Student at Syracuse University’s Maxwell School of Citizenship & Public Affairs, said that a reason for these decreased numbers is that more people are being made aware of the issue.

 

“Due to the collective effort of advocacy and grassroots organizations, the health department has been pushed to meet demands against lead,” Van Brackle said.

 

Local news outlets have also been covering childhood lead poisoning more. “While it’s still barely enough, it’s sending messages to the community,” Van Brackle said.

 

Under the Lead Renovation, Repair, and Painting (RRP) Rule, which was passed in 2010, landlords are required to get themselves or a company certified before performing renovation on a home. Onondaga County also offers free RRP training for homeowners.

 

“These are your kids whose lives are being destroyed. As a tenant, and parent, you should never feel like it’s your fault,” Medley said. “You did not bring the lead in, you simply moved in. Don’t ever blame yourself, but definitely speak up.”

 

Medley founded Families for Lead Freedom Now with Oceanna Fair, another mother whose child was a victim of lead poisoning. They continue to work against lead poisoning in Syracuse.