Be Educated About Mesothelioma at Rare Disease Day

• Joseph Belluck
• Faces of Mesothelioma, Family

February 29 was rare disease day, a day to recognize and remember all those who have been afflicted with these illnesses and to pray for a cure. Mesothelioma is one of the nearly 7,000 diseases in the United States that is considered “rare;”  however, to someone dealing with the effects of mesothelioma, there is no rarity to it at all.

Since mesothelioma is such a rare disease, it is understandable, but not acceptable, that the general public knows so little about it. I include myself in this lot, as I did not even realize that it was a form of cancer when my father was diagnosed. I find myself thinking about all of the missed opportunities to educate people on what meso really is instead of just those television advertisements.

Now is the perfect time to take a stand for this community. With faith, education, research, and fundraising, we can help take mesothelioma from being classified as a rare disease to an eradicated disease.

Contact your state and local representatives and ask them to push for legislation for more funding for mesothelioma research. Let them know that there are faces to this awful disease and that there is more to us than what may meet the eye. We may be a group that came together from something uncommon, but there is definite strength in our assembly.

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