Friday, April 04, 2014

Asbestos Awareness Week

Hello everyone..... 
Did you know that Asbestos Awareness Week is this week... April 1-7? Neither did I until I read about Heather Von St. James.  She was diagnosed with mesothelioma; a rare and deadly cancer caused by exposure to asbestos.  Here are some facts about asbestos and about Heather.  Please look at her website below :-)

About Asbestos:
  • Asbestos has been declared a “known human carcinogen,” having been commonly associated with asbestos cancer
  • Asbestos can still be found in myriad homes, schools, and commercial or industrial buildings
  • No amount of exposure to asbestos is safe! However, the longer and more intense the exposure, the more likely an individual is to develop mesothelioma cancer or another asbestos disease
  • Asbestos was once used in more than 3,000 consumer products including household items such as toasters and hair dryers — some of which may still be in use
  • Asbestos fibers are invisible to the naked eye
About Heather:
  • I was diagnosed with pleural mesothelioma at the age of 36, three months after giving birth to my daughter Lily
  • My dad was a construction worker in South Dakota and would come home with his jacket covered in asbestos. His jacket was my favorite thing to wear when I had to go out in the cold South Dakota winters.
  • Feb 2nd 2005, I had my left lung removed by Dr. David Sugarbaker at Brigham & Women’s Hospital in Boston
  • This year we celebrated our 8th “Lung Leavin Day” to commemorate my survival: http://www.mesothelioma.com/heather/lungleavinday

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