Debbie Willson holds a photo of her son, Adam Willson, who died in June 2024.Debbie is sure his death was influenced by heat, but his death certificate doesn't mention it.
Such omissions are common nationwide and result in an undercount of the impact of heat, an investigation from NPR and Boston University finds.Ryan Kellman/NPR hide caption An NPR investigation finds that heat kills thousands of Americans every year.
But official records radically undercount the toll.In this series, we are bringing you stories that reveal why this happens and what can be done.Heat is killing thousands more Americans every year than official data suggests, and the U.S.
health system is struggling to document its often silent role.Debbie Willson is acutely aware of how a death can fall through the cracks.Debbie and her son, Adam Willson, lived in a sun-scorched neighborhood in Tucson, Arizona.They were both born with a genetic disorder called DiGeorge syndrome, which caused them heart problems.
Adam also had cerebral palsy and some developmental delays, so Debbie cared for him full time, even after he became an adult.Despite those challenges, Adam was thriving as he reached his late 20s, Debbie says.He was obsessed with movies, especially horror movies."Freddy, Jason, Michael, Chucky, all those horrors," she says, laughing: He loved them.
"I tolerated those."He worked at a local movie theater and showed her a horror script he'd written in his spare time.He was looking into film programs to apply to.DiGeorge syndrome also made both Adam and Debbie highly sensitive to heat.
Too much heat exposure could trigger seizures and strain their already stressed hearts.On really hot days, even stepping outside would be too much for the two of them, Debbie says, so they'd retreat back into their house and hope the swamp cooler could keep them comfortable.But in southe...