By Brandon C. Williams
The Post Newspaper Editor
On average, approximately 400 Americans die each year from carbon monoxide poisoning. In most cases, the fatalities are either at home or in a vehicle.
Sadly, Diana Mathis knows firsthand the pain that comes from losing a loved one from carbon monoxide poisoning.
This past Tuesday marked 39 years since her daughter, Susan, was found dead in her Tulsa, OK home. Mere months shy of her 21st birthday, Susan Mathis came home from a Stevie Nicks concert and fell asleep, unaware of the deadly presence of her gas heater.
“I had never heard of carbon monoxide poisoning until the coroner told us it was the cause of her death,” said Mathis, whose pain has led her to campaign against the dangers of it.
“Susan had recently brought a reused gas heater a few weeks earlier,” said Mathis of her daughter, who was working with a Tulsa-based oil company. “The day before, she had complained about having a bad headache, so I gave her some aspirin without knowing it was the heater that was causing the headaches.”
Most people exposed to carbon monoxide do, like Susan, experience headaches, fatigue and nausea. However, the symptoms can be masked as being flu-like.
The loss of her daughter one day after her wedding anniversary has led Mathis to disdain from celebrating her marriage. As time has passed, she has found her voice in an effort to keep others from dealing with the unspeakable tragedy that befell the Mathis family.
“I don’t want another person to go through what I’ve lived with,” she said. “If we can save just one family, it would be worth it.”
With colder weather approaching, the need to stay warm will increase. For those who have gas heaters, the purchase of a carbon monoxide detector can be the difference between life and sudden death.
Detectors can cost as low as $6.99 and can be purchased online or at outlets such as Home Depot, WalMart or Harbor Freight.
“It’s taken years to soften the pain just a bit,” said Mathis. “I still cry. The pain of losing a child will never go away. If we can spread the word and inform and educate people on carbon monoxide poisoning, that means one more person being saved.
