PORTLAND, Ore. -- Ever since a light bulb damaged Kellie La Follette's eyes in a school gym, she has dealt with constant pain that she says "never goes away … literally, 24 hours a day."

And now, the Portland-area school teacher and her husband are pushing for laws to be changed to protect people from suffering more damage from halide light bulbs.

"It's hard to believe how much our life has changed because of one light bulb," La Follette said.

A halide light bulb sends out strong ultra-violet rays. With a protective cover, it is used in large buildings such as gyms and big-box stores. Without a cover, however, it can burn human skin and eyes.

In 2004, La Follette and other teachers met for an educational session in the school gym. After five hours, some of them were in so much pain that they had to be taken to the emergency room.

The school later found a halide light bulb with a cover that had been broken by a volleyball. Five years later, La Follette said she still suffers in the light.

"(It's) horrific stabs of pain -- walking through a parking lot on a sunny day, the reflections off cars," La Follette said. "A TV in a dark room is almost like daggers into my eyes, and the pain is so great, it's nauseating."

La Follette's husband, Joel, created a Web site to inform people about the dangers. The couple also lobbied for a new law that would force Oregon schools to install a new type of halide light that turns itself off if the protective cover breaks.

But the La Follettes said their work isn't done. They wanted to sue the company that created the lights, but an Oregon law won't allow lawsuits if the product is more than eight years old. The couple believes that if they don't sue, the companies will be able to keep producing the dangerous lights and accidents will continue to occur.

"We have been denied our day in court," Joel La Follette said.

There have been similar incidents in Florida, where more than a dozen people reported serious eye burns from a broken halide bulb; and in India, where there were reports that the lights burned 100 people at an inauguration.

The FDA said the lights are a public health concern, but the agency has not banned them.

The manufacturing company creating the lights does not recommend using the lights in gyms where they can be damaged. Meanwhile, industry group National Electric Manufacturers Association said gym lights should have strong covers.

Warnings also exist on the bulb boxes, but there may still be schools around the country where administrators are unaware of the dangers.

Joel La Follette said the laws can be changed by making regular halide bulbs too hot for light companies and forcing them to sell only lights that put themselves out. The La Follettes hope for change for the sake of everyone.

"You would never wish this -- ever -- on anyone," Kelli La Follette said.

Local Woman Still Suffering Due To Light Bulb

To read the FDA's notice to schools about light bulbs subject to damage, visit the FDA's Web site.