“It was just a single drop… but it changed my life.”
That’s how Damean Ross begins his story—one that dates back more than 30 years, but still shapes every day of his life.
While working in the sugar cane fields of Australia, Damean was tasked with adding glyphosate to the water tank that was used during the planting of sugar cane. But instead of being given the correct safety equipment, he was handed standard fabric gardening gloves—not the black, chemical-resistant gloves designed for handling toxic herbicides.
As he poured the glyphosate into the tank, a couple of drops splashed—one onto his hand, another onto the upper thigh of his jeans. He carried on with his work, unaware of what was to come.
As he continued working and began to sweat heavily, both areas suddenly started to burn. The reaction was severe—and it only got worse from there. In desperation, Damean removed his glove and instinctively put his hand to his mouth, trying to ease the pain. He now believes that single act introduced glyphosate into his system—triggering decades of internal health complications.
By the next day, his hand and leg had swollen dramatically—“like bags of water.” The pain, he said, was like boiling water being poured over his skin, and it didn’t let up for more than two and a half months. The drop on his leg had even eaten through the denim, leaving a hole in his jeans.
“They Couldn’t Give Me Painkillers Strong Enough”
A chemical burns specialist told Damean the substance he’d been exposed to was “a form of synthetic mercury.”* The specialist recommended amputating part of his hand to prevent the chemical from spreading into his glands.
But Damean refused — not out of denial, but determination. As a lifelong musician and guitarist, he couldn’t imagine losing the ability to play. That love of music became his anchor and motivation to try every possible natural path to healing.
Later, in researching chemical exposures and healing, Damean came across a chilling news story from the UK. A female scientist at Porton Down suffered a puncture to her glove while handling synthetic mercury. A single drop entered her system. She died the next day. Half her brain and one kidney had reportedly been destroyed. That case made the danger of his own exposure all too real.
“That’s when I realised how dangerous this really was. And how lucky I was to still be alive.”
The pain was unbearable. At the height of it, no painkillers were strong enough to ease the burning. His hand withered, and he lost much of its feeling. But through years of natural healing—including guitar playing, strength exercises, the use of arnica, and natural oils—Damean has gradually regained some of the function and feeling he once feared he’d lose forever.
Living with the Consequences
Despite what happened, Damean has never received formal medical acknowledgment of his condition—either in Australia or in New Zealand. In fact, his symptoms have been dismissed or reclassified under other labels.
“I’ve been treated like a liar and a conspiracy theorist. The medical institute has classed my symptoms as an anxiety/PTSD and fibromyalgia-related illness.”
But the symptoms are real. And they haven’t gone away.
Damean now wakes at 3 am most mornings with stabbing, burning pain in his colon. He doesn’t get relief until around 8 am, after finally passing a bowel movement—an ordeal he describes as “like passing shards of glass and metal with razor-blade claws.” The internal bleeding, he says, “burns like acid” as it passes through. He spends most of the day lying down, in debilitating agony, waiting for the pain to subside by evening.
“The pain was so intense at times I wanted to leave my body. But I’m not that way inclined, so I just bared it.”
He relies on medicinal marijuana as his only viable form of pain relief. Not because he wants to—but because nothing else works.
Food as Medicine
Damean has been a vegetarian since he was 14. After the initial injury, he began detoxing with simple whole foods—surviving for months on just organic oranges and Brazil nuts. In 2011, as his symptoms worsened, he transitioned to a stricter whole-food vegan diet—and eventually to a raw and juice-based approach. He’s convinced these changes have helped keep him alive.
“I know I wouldn’t have survived this long had I not made the dietary changes through my life.”
A Career Taken, a Passion Saved
Damean trained as an electrician, but due to the injury and its long-term effects, he’s been unable to continue working in the trade.
But one thing he’s held onto is music. He is a guitarist, and his love for playing is what motivated him to heal his hand naturally instead of undergoing surgery. Music, he says, helped bring him back.
“Playing guitar, natural oils, strength exercises, and using arnica has brought back most of the feeling I had lost.”
A Payout and a Gag Clause
Because the injury resulted from not being provided the proper safety equipment, Damean was told he was eligible for compensation. He eventually received $1,700 AUD from the Australian government.
But the payout came with strings attached.
When the paperwork was presented, he was shown a confidentiality clause that prevented him from speaking to any media about what had happened. At the time, he didn’t fully understand the long-term implications of what he was signing.
“I had no idea I was supposedly giving up my right to recourse.”
To make matters worse, the farmer he worked for didn’t want the injury formally reported. Damean says he was worried it would affect his health and safety insurance. The farmer even sent a group of workers to pressure Damean into dropping the claim. But he stood his ground.
“I felt justified. I wasn’t going to be bullied into silence.”
A Chilling Reminder
While in hospital, a nurse shared a story with Damean that has stuck with him ever since. Earlier that year, two teenagers were cycling near a cane field. Thirsty, they pulled up some sugar cane stalks and drank the sap. They both collapsed.
One died. The other was left in intensive care with kidney failure.
Glyphosate had reportedly been used on the field.
For Damean, the story hit hard. It confirmed what he was already beginning to suspect: that these chemicals weren’t just dangerous to those applying them—they posed a risk to anyone who came into contact with them, often without even knowing.
It was a chilling reminder that the harm from glyphosate doesn’t end at the farm gate. And it reinforced what he was beginning to understand all too well: there’s no such thing as a “safe” exposure when the damage is this unpredictable.
Still Searching for Recognition
Despite his suffering, Damean has never received formal medical acknowledgment for what he’s endured. Not from doctors. Not from regulators. And not even from some of his own family.
“I’ve been dismissed and ghosted all this time. It’s affected me psychologically. It’s taken a toll.”
Chemical injuries—especially those involving glyphosate-based weedkillers—are rarely recognised, almost never reported, and often reclassified as something else. Especially when they challenge the narrative that glyphosate is “safe when used as directed.”
But what happens when it’s not used as directed?
What happens when someone is handed the wrong gloves?
Or when a single drop does more damage than anyone expects?
A Story That Deserved to Be Heard
Damean didn’t initially ask us to share his story. But after a few more messages back and forth, he agreed—it was time. Not for sympathy, but because staying silent hasn’t helped.
He was paid to keep quiet. But the pain never left. And neither did the damage.
That silence hasn’t led to safer practices. It hasn’t stopped the injuries. And it hasn’t created the public awareness that might protect someone else.
So we have to ask: Was the price of silence worth it?
Damean’s story is a reminder of how easily things can go wrong—and how rarely anyone is held accountable when they do. We’re grateful he chose to speak up. Because until stories like his are heard, nothing changes.
*Editor’s Note:
Damean recalls a chemical burns specialist describing the herbicide he was exposed to as “a form of synthetic mercury.” While this comment reflected his experience and the severity of his injury, it’s important to clarify that glyphosate is not chemically related to mercury. They are entirely different substances. The specialist may have been speaking metaphorically or referring to the perceived toxicity, not the compound structure.
More Personal Stories – Voices of Exposure
Damean’s story is not the only one. Others have come forward to share how glyphosate exposure has impacted their lives—physically, emotionally, and in ways they never expected. These personal stories reveal just how far-reaching the consequences can be, even when the exposure seems small or indirect.
Robyn’s Story: When the Tests Revealed the Truth Behind Her Symptoms
Diagnosed with inflammation and brain fog at 57, Robyn uncovered high levels of glyphosate and other chemicals in her body. Her journey shows how hidden exposure can manifest decades later.
Liz’s Story: A Helicopter, a Farm, and a Funeral
After a spill of sprayed herbicide on a rural road, Liz’s life changed. She shares how glyphosate exposure disrupted her health and motivated her to speak up at age 72.
One Less Kidney: When Everyday Exposure Hits Home
A deeply personal reflection of a family’s fight against kidney cancer and how long‑term glyphosate exposure may have contributed. Raises thorny questions about “safe” levels.
One Woman’s Story of Lost Taste and Smell. It Wasn’t Just the Potato
After losing smell and taste for more than two years, one New Zealander discovered glyphosate‑based sprays—not the potato itself—were likely the trigger.
The Body Remembers: Glyphosate’s Hidden Health Signals
A collection of lived‑experience reflections about how seemingly unrelated symptoms can trace back to chemical exposure—and what the body remembers long after.
The Baby Who Changed a Borough
A mother’s persistence in Ellerslie turned a failed‑thriving baby and chemical‑spray concern into community action against chemical weed‑control. A powerful example of how one story can spark local policy change.
If Damean’s story resonates with you, or if you’ve experienced harm you believe may be linked to glyphosate or glyphosate-based herbicides, we invite you to share your story too. You don’t have to be an expert—just someone who wants to be heard.
Every voice adds to the growing awareness, and your experience might be the one that helps someone else feel less alone.
Image Source & Attribution
We’re grateful to the talented photographers and designers whose work enhances our content. The feature image on this page is by Tridsanu.
