Nearly 10 years after the Anthrax scare that killed five people, postal worker Patrick O’Donnell still has unresolved issues stemming from the horrible incident.

 

One day in October 2001, after he had been on the job for 12 years, he became ill after sorting mail. It turned out that he had touched an anthrax-laced envelope. He did not return to work until 2005.

 

For starters, he has yet to be reimbursed for the $1,000 worth of personal items that federal agents seized from his house to test for anthrax spores. O’Donnell lost 27 items of clothing, backpack, a Sony Walkman and 50 compact discs, among other things.

 

Even worse is the post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) he suffers from, having been one of several workers exposed to the virus at the Hamilton, New Jersey, regional distribution center in October 2001. O’Donnell has repeatedly requested the U.S. Postal Service to transfer him to a facility near to his home. Instead, he has had to work near the New Jersey center, which holds too many bad memories that exacerbate his PTSD, he says.

-Noel Brinkerhoff

 

Postal Worker Exposed To Anthrax Facing Different Dilemma Over Transfer Request (by Lu, Postal Reporter News)

Emotional Wounds Linger For Anthrax Survivor (by Katia Dunn, NPR)

FBI Tries to Delay Release of Anthrax Attack Report (by Noel Brinkerhoff, AllGov)