January 30th, 2001:
Brian Barrett has been diagnosed with terminal brain cancer which he 
believes to have been the result of his avid cell phone use.  His doctor 
says that CAT scans of his brian show that the tumor shape exactly match 
the radiation pattern emitted from a cell phone.  Previous to this 
horrific diagnosis about a year ago doctors had given him reports of 
perfect blood pressure, perfect resting heart rate, as well as excellent 
physical condition.  He had used a cell phone on a daily basis since 1994 
often in excess of 2000 minutes a month unaware of any health risk.  He 
now wishes to inform the public about this health concern so that fewer 
lives will be sacrificed and cell phone manufacturers will be 
forced to make safer phones.

His attorney, Joanne Suder, filed suit in Atlanta on monday.  She says that 
Brians case is not unique.  She has spoken with over 100 potential plaintiffs 
in this country and in europe with similar situations.  Most of them are middle 
class men who used their cell phones regularly.  She says that there is a lot 
of information that they knew or should have known about potential health risks 
but did not reveal.  

Brian is upset that cell phones had gone through very little testing and 
regrets his assumption that they were perfectly safe.  He feels good that 
people will take a hard look at this (now that it has been on CBS news) 
and doesn't want people to be "needlessly killed" as a "matter of convenience."  
He is married and has two daughters, aged 5 and 13 years, and his doctor says 
he is going to die in a few years.


See the related CBS News story on their website