Alan Bell, a graduate of the University of Miami with degrees in Business and Law and President's Council member, is currently touring the country to promote his book, Poisoned. In the book, the first-time author tells the story of his brush with environmental toxins, a “silent epidemic,” as Bell describes it, and an even less understood illness by medical professionals.
In the 1980’s, Bell began experiencing seemingly inexplicable physical symptoms – unexplained coughing, sore throat, dizzy spells. Bell says he chalked the symptoms up to stress, after having just moved law firms to one of South Florida’s newest high-rises. In search of relief, he consulted with over a hundred doctors and underwent diagnostic tests costing “nearly one million dollars.” The collective conclusion was that Bell had been poisoned.
As a successful prosecutor of organized crime, Bell thought his illness may have been a result of retribution from a former case. Ultimately the culprit was found, not in a criminal attack, but as a result of "a devastating illness caused by exposure to environmental toxins," known as Multiple Chemical Sensitivity.
Bell tried countless treatment options – everything from traditional to holistic, from Native American to Chinese medicine, all to no avail. At the reccomendation of his doctors, he relocated with his family to a small non-toxic house in the middle of the Arizona desert, free of mold, pollutants, and humidity. Bell's time living in such isolated conditions allowed him to heal and reflect on how he could raise awareness for other victims of environmental illness.
Bell has since developed chemical hyper-sensitivities, he says “similar to a drug sniffing dog,” where he’s able to detect chemicals and toxins commonly found in the home, office, or school.
He also founded the Environmental Health Foundation, a non-profit organization that has funded research projects including studies of genetic susceptibility to lead exposure by doctors at Mt. Sinai Medical Center in New York. The foundation has been backed by NASA scientists, and gained celebrity endorsements from actors Matthew Perry, the late Alan Thicke and singer/songwriter Kenny Loggins.
Bell’s book, Poisoned outlines his ordeals, setbacks and successes, throughout his harrowing journey. Now a self-proclaimed environmental health crusader, he works tirelessly to shed light on the illness that took up nearly a decade of his life. “My time at the U taught me to keep fighting and never give up,” he says about his perseverance.
Alan Bell, B.B.A. '76, J.D. '79
Alan Bell
University of Miami
Coral Gables, FL 33124
305-284-2211