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
