36-year-old Richard Kimberley, of Kidderminster, Worcestershire, has been running his “csmicros” computer repair business for the last 20 years, but he plans to close it down on July 22nd, claiming radiation signals from wireless technology have given him a rare condition known as electro-hypersensitivity (EHS).
Ever since he launched his business in 1996, Richard has been working around phones, computers and Wi-Fi signals on a regular basis, and he believes the constant exposure to technology has taken a toll on his health. “Due to an over-exposure to the radiation from wireless technology, my health has declined to the point where I cannot continue with the business that I have spent my life building,” he says. “I’d wake up five or six times in a night, my joints were aching, I’d have headaches during the day and my memory was awful – I felt atrocious and I had no idea why. I’ve had to rely on staff for the past 18 months since becoming EHS. I have persevered, battling with electro-hypersensitivity for as long as I can.”
Mr. Kimberley said that his problems began in 2013, when he moved into a dual shop and house premise on Stourport Road, Kidderminster. He started experiencing black outs, headaches and extreme tiredness, yet his condition improved when he removed wireless technology from the house. But wireless technology is everywhere these days, and his electro-hypersensitivity has made it really hard for Richard to live a normal life. Since October last year, he has been living in a van fitted with aluminium lining to block out radiation signals. He says the only way to avoid feeling sick is to park the van in spots he feels are safe, every night.
He hasn’t shunned technology completely though. “I have satellite broadband and a landline in the van, my computer is wired and people can email me or phone my landline if they want me,” he says. “I still have technology, but now I use it safely. It’s an extremely solitary life.” After closing his computer repair business, he plans to make a living as a web designer working from his van, and raise awareness about EHS by writing a blog.
“It is a complete life changer and an absolute blow that was totally unexpected,” the 36-year-old entrepreneur added. “Becoming sensitive has turned my life upside down.”
Richard Kimberley’s case is a sad and ironic one, but it’s definitely not the most extreme EHS-related story we’ve ever published. Back in 2012, we wrote about Anne Cautain and Bernadette Touloumond, two French women suffering from the same condition, who had moved into an isolated cave just to be safe from electromagnetic radiation.
Source: Kidderminster Shuttle
