After living for six years in Porter Ranch, the Machado family noticed a frightening change in October 2015: “we’d go outside and ask ourselves if someone left the gas on,” says Lissett Machado, 43. “My parents lived next door and I was worried for them. One neighbor mentioned the gas wells and I didn’t know they were even there. Eventually, we received a letter from SoCalGas providing relocation information if we wanted to leave. Each person in our home had a different illness: My son had severe nose bleeds; I came down with a severe thyroid condition; my husband had terrible headaches. My daughter had severe skin and allergic reactions. When we returned home, the health issues continued. My husband and I were divided; I wanted to move away permanently, and he did not because he trusted that the blowout was properly sealed. We decided to move to Orange County in May 2018. I am happy where we live now but we had to move away from my parents. When my kids visit them in Porter Ranch, the kids’ symptoms often return.” Shane Machado, 13, says, “When I visit them I get bloody noses. It’s just hard to breathe there.”