DEVINE, Texas — Stephanie Smith no longer lives near Corpus Christi’s “Refinery Row,” but the health consequences of growing up there continue to shape her life.
Raised in Academy Heights, a working-class neighborhood surrounded by oil refineries and petrochemical plants, Smith was born three months early. Her younger sister Margie was born with a rare chromosomal disorder and lived with severe disabilities until her death at 21. Cancer, diabetes, asthma, and chronic illness were common throughout her family and community.
WATCH PART 1 OF THIS SERIES BELOW, A SHORT DOCUMENTARY FOLLOWING SMITH:
Today, the 56-year-old lives 2 hours north of the city. Her day is filled with caring for her aging father, who recently entered hospice care.
In part 1 of an investigative series on birth defects in South Texas, Investigative Reporter, Lea Zora speaks with Smith, who reflects on a question her family has asked for decades: were these illnesses tragic coincidences — or the result of environmental exposure?
This year long investigation is just beginning, and we will continue looking for answers for Stephanie and others like her.
Are you or someone you know impacted by birth defects? Scan the QR code to share your story.
