Veteran suffering from burn pits dies

SANDUSKY — Heath Robinson, a decorated military veteran who's tragic battle with burn pits helped gain his cause a national following, died Wednesday. He was 39. Robinson leaves behind a wife, Danielle (Kaufman), who's a 2003 Sandusky High School graduate, and their daughter, Brielle, 6. He suffered from a rare form of cancer caused by his exposure to burn pits during a 13-month stint in Iraq while serving as a medic with the Ohio Army National Guard. His health substantially declined in late 2016, almost 10 years after he returned from overseas. His death wasn't a result of COVID-19. Doctors ended up diagnosing Robinson with a rare autoimmune disorder, called mucous membrane pemphigoid, a group of rare chronic autoimmune disorders. Robinson represents one of an unknown number of service members exposed to toxic smoke emanating from enormous burn pits the military used to dispose of every material imaginable. The items dropped in the burn pits included chemical weapons, computer hardware, human remains, medical waste, asbestos, pesticides, paint cans, fuels, and other items. The military maintained dozens of burn pits in Iraq and Afghanistan — many near the bases where soldiers lived or worked — and there was a steady stream of toxic smoke coming from them. Some are still in use today. In February, when the Register visited him and his family at their home, just outside of Columbus, he appeared frail, requiring oxygen pumped into his body on a 24/7 basis. "I was very healthy and into fitness. I was working out vigorously," said Heath, who twice won the state's Non-Commissioned Officer of the Year award, given to those who display remarkable physical and mental toughness. Despite his military service, upon retiring this past November, the Veterans Administration denied providing Robinson with family caregiver benefits. It would have given him a stipend to pay his wife, who took lots of time away from her full-time job, to oversee his health. But why? Neither the VA nor the Department of Defense recognizes any connection between burn pits and chronic illnesses. "They are postponing doing anything about it," Robinson said in February. "They don't want to have to deal with it. They are waiting for as many people to fall off (die) as possible." While an active-duty service member, Robinson couldn't speak out against burn pits for fear of retaliation. But his mother-in-law, Sandusky resident Susan Zeier, did. For more than three years, Zeier has lobbied Congress. She's asked representatives and senators to create legislation that would track and treat veterans suffering from illness related to toxic exposure. "Why wouldn't we be out here fighting for these soldiers who have fought for us?" Zeier said. "I feel it's my duty now to serve them. But this has been so, so frustrating." The House and Senate haven't accomplished much in this fight. U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, a political advocate of Zeier's, did convince the U.S. Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs' chairman, Sen. Johnny Isakson, R-Georgia, to schedule a hearing in 2019. But Isakson, with no reason given, barred veterans from testifying. Before he died, and after his retirement, Robinson was willing to testify. The committee "needs to realize that their decisions affect the lives of individuals," Robinson said. "One 'Yes' or 'No' vote for them can drastically change an individual's life, like my own. Individuals who put their life on the line are now paying for it, unfortunately, in ways that were not expected. No one expected burn pits would have such an effect on soldiers." Zeier said the DOD and VA need to step up and take responsibility. According to her, it starts with acknowledging the illnesses, building a database with names of afflicted veterans and providing full medical coverage to all military members, in any situation, who are suffering. "Burn pit veterans and victims deserve to be treated and cared for just as the same as our men and women in service who are injured or killed on the battlefield." And just because Robinson's no longer here doesn't mean she'll stop her fight for him. "He wants his story told in order to help other burn pit veterans," Zeier said. "We knew all along my fight would not save his life, but his goal was to create awareness so the VA will stop denying that burn pit exposure caused chronic illnesses and rare cancers." Up until the day he died, Robinson remained proud of his military service. But he did have one regret. "My main goal is to hang on as long as I can to see my daughter get older," Robinson said in February, knowing he might die before he got to see a grown-up Brielle. "She is my main inspiration for pushing on. But (my condition) does affect my relationship with my daughter. It bothers me a lot. I need to get better for her."