This week’s Tango Alpha Lima podcast features Danielle Robinson — the surviving spouse of the late Sgt. First Class Heath Robinson, namesake of the PACT Act.
Danielle Robinson — the surviving spouse of the late Sgt. First Class Heath Robinson, whom the PACT Act was named after — is this week’s special guest on The American Legion Tango Alpha Lima podcast.
Heath, who served in the Ohio National Guard, was deployed to Kosovo and Iraq. In 2006, he left for Iraq. Ten years after his deployment, Heath began to fight for his life when he was diagnosed with a rare for form of lung cancer attributed to toxic exposure from Burn Pits during his military service in Iraq.
In 2016, he ran a half marathon and knew something was off, saying he had trouble catching his breath. Two weeks later he returned from training in Georgia and the signs pointed to serious trouble.
“I started seeing bloody tissues in the trash can,” Danielle recalls, explaining that Heath originally thought a series of bloody noses were due to a seasonal change in the climate. “As a physical therapist, I pressed him to go to his primary care physician at that time.”
A month later, the 35-year-old would fall asleep immediately on the couch after work. He returned to his physician, but nothing came of that. After another month, Heath started losing his voice, and was referred to a specialist, who diagnosed him with a rare autoimmune disorder usually associated with people in their 80s.
Finally, an oncologist provided the proper diagnosis. “I’ll never forget that visit,” Danielle says.
It was too late. Heath passed away in 2020, but his legacy lives on. Today, Danielle is a Burn Pits 360 activist and advocate, fighting for servicemembers and veterans exposed to hazardous environments while serving. For example, she was among the panel members who participated in a special American Legion roundtable discussion in July, just ahead of the second anniversary of the PACT Act.
This legislation was signed into law in August of 2022, enacting the most significant expansion of benefits and services for toxic exposed veterans in more than 30 years.
Still, Danielle wants more work to be done. That means more veterans getting tested.
“Please be advocates for your own health,” she says to veterans who may have been exposed to toxic substances during their service. “Please go get the help, question it and document it. That’s the one thing I wish I did.”
Danielle wants to help others detect potential cancer early. She suggests taking the warning signs — unexplained bloody noses, episodes of wheezing, experiencing fatigue and not being able to catch one’s breath — very seriously. “It’s a major red flag,” she says. “Don’t ignore it. The sooner you get to a doctor, the faster they can diagnose what is going on.”
Also, co-hosts Stacy Pearsall, Adam Marr and Joe Worley:
• Examine why veterans who served at Tonopah Test Range, aka “Area 52,” are being denied VA benefits.
• Discuss how Duct tape got its start during World War II.
• Pay a tribute to Army veteran and singer Kris Kristofferson
• Talk about a unique AirBNB listing — a Chinook CH-47D helicopter, situated on a peaceful, five-acre compound.
Check out this week’s episode, which is among more than 270 Tango Alpha Lima podcasts available in both audio and video formats here. You can also download episodes on Apple Podcasts, Google Play or other major podcast-hosting sites. The video version is available at the Legion’s YouTube channel.
- Tango Alpha Lima