Pickerington veteran, 39, dies of lung cancer blamed on burn-pit exposure

Heath Robinson knew his time was short.

In recent weeks, the Pickerington resident, who fought a 3-year battle with lung cancer that he blamed on exposure to toxic burn-pit smoke during his deployment to Iraq, began making videos and buying gifts for future birthdays and milestone events of his 6-year-old daughter, Brielle.

“He bought her jewelry for her wedding day,” said Robinson’s mother-in-law, Susan Zeier.

On Wednesday morning, at home and in the arms of his wife Danielle, Robinson died. He was 39 years old.

Heath Robinson:Honored soldier blames burn-pit exposure for stage 4 cancer

Burn Pit Transparency Act:Late Pickerington veteran to have congressional bill named in his honor

The Dispatch wrote about Robinson’s plight in February. A model soldier — twice named Non-Commissioned Officer of the Year by the Ohio National Guard — Robinson was exposed to the smoke from burning trash pits during his year-long deployment in 2006-07.

He was diagnosed with cancer in 2017. That prompted Zeier to begin advocating for other burn-pit victims, many of whom have been denied Veterans Administration benefits because the agency has not accepted that their illnesses were caused by the exposure.

More than 200,000 people have signed up on the VA's Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry.

Zeier said her advocacy work will continue.

“That’s what Heath wanted,” she said. “We knew my fight wasn’t going to save his life, but his goal was that his story being told would help other veterans.”

Funeral arrangements are incomplete but will be handled by the Dwayne R. Spence Funeral Home in Canal Winchester.

kgordon@dispatch.com

@kgdispatch