It’s Time to Stand Up To Mesothelioma

• Joseph Belluck
• Faces of Mesothelioma, Family

A mesothelioma diagnosis, at any age, is devastating. This disease does not discriminate; it doesn’t care how old you are, your gender doesn’t matter, and it certainly does not have any esteem for your family. My Dad was 55 when he was diagnosed and 57 when he passed away. In the time since, he has missed the birth of his grandchild. He never got to see her crawl, witness her first steps, or hear her babble. He has been absent for three Christmases, two Easters, two of his own birthdays, and countless other events.

I recently had the privilege of becoming acquainted with a very young mother battling this disease. I’m so happy to say that she is doing well, but the fact that she ever had to deal with mesothelioma strongly angers me. For a woman in her youth to have to face such a difficulty is tragic.

I have been contacted by many people telling me that either they or a loved one are unfortunate members of the mesothelioma community. They come from all different walks of life and their stories are all different. The sad common denominator is this cancer. It is time for us all to stand up and say that enough is enough.

Please contact your state representatives to work toward increased funding for mesothelioma research. Tell them that you want asbestos banned in the United States, a country where it is still legal, but extremely lethal. Contact the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation and work toward a fundraiser, or make a donation. Pray for those affected. There are many ways to help, choose the one (or ones) that is best for you and let’s work to find the cure together!

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