The Dangers of Asbestos Should Not be Brushed Aside

• Joseph Belluck
• Faces of Mesothelioma, Mesothelioma

My Dad passed away at the age of 57 from mesothelioma. This disease is a direct consequence of exposure to asbestos. I know I don’t usually say much about asbestos, but there are some things that need to be stated.

Asbestos is still legal in the United States. To me, this is unacceptable. How can we still be allowing this material to be used when it has sickened or killed so many? It seems to me that the majority of people still take asbestos exposure lightly. Honestly, I wasn’t familiar with the material until my father was diagnosed with mesothelioma, so I was one of those people. The key is to educate the general public about its dangers.

Since Dad’s diagnosis, I have had people tell me that asbestos is nothing to be afraid of. “It’s nothing!  I’ve been around it forever and I’m fine. People just overreact about it!” I cannot form a concrete sentence about how much it pains me to hear these things. It has understandably become something inherently personal to me. Knowing what my family and so many others have gone through, it honestly feels like a slap in the face. Protect yourself!  Don’t let your family go through what mine has.

Get educated, please. If you think something is asbestos, leave it alone and then ask questions about it.  Even though it used to be accepted as a wonderful, safe product, history has proven that to be wildly incorrect. Take care of yourself and your loved ones. Take action and help to eradicate mesothelioma forever.

Jennifer Gelsick has started a blog about advocating for the mesothelioma community. See more about her efforts to help find a cure for mesothelioma .

Know more about Mesothelioma and how you can deal with it.