Posts Tagged Asbestos

Mesothelioma survivor doing his part to raise awareness, research funding, to combat illness

Posted by John in Mesothelioma on September 2, 2010

Larry Davis has both seen and experienced the horrors of mesothelioma firsthand. Because of that, the lifelong runner – and longtime survivor of the asbestos cancer – has done his part to raise awareness and raise money to help fight the disease.

An upcoming event that Davis – a resident of Pompano Beach, Florida – will be participating in will be a benefit race in Illinois during the weekend of National Mesothelioma Awareness Day, which falls annually on September 26, according to the Florida-based Sun Sentinel

“The organizer told me, ‘We’ve got hills, they’ll kill you.’ I’d rather go that way,” Davis said jokingly, according to the Sentinel.

In addition to being diagnosed with mesothelioma himself, Davis also saw his father succumb to the illness at the age of 56 after being exposed to asbestos fibers while working at a box manufacturing plant in New Haven, Connecticut.

While using his passion for running is one means of raising awareness and funding for mesothelioma research, Davis also played is part in the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation’s convincing of 50 members of Congress  to establish September 26 as National Mesothelioma Awareness Day.

“It’s hard to believe that a group such as ours could go to [Washington] and get the attention of Congress and get them to do something,” said Davis, according to the Sun-Sentinel. “It’s huge. I feel pretty good about what we did.”

He has also repeatedly shown his support for Ban Asbestos Now and CureMeso.org, among other mesothelioma awareness groups.

For those who have been diagnosed with mesothelioma cancer that can be linked to asbestos exposure caused by a product or former employer, you may be entitled to financial compensation. Contact an experienced mesothelioma attorney to learn more about your rights, and to see if pursuing a mesothelioma settlement is in your best interest.

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Mesothelioma victims honored in UK ceremony

Posted by John in Mesothelioma on August 31, 2010

In an attempt to both honor loved ones who have passed away from mesothelioma and also raise awareness on the dangers of asbestos exposure, hundreds of family members of mesothelioma victims assembled recently to hold pay tribute during a ceremony in Manchester, England.

With photos of their relatives in hand – many of whom were exposed to asbestos while working in factories that utilized the substance – more than 200 grieving family members gathered in front of the town hall and watched as doves were released to honor the 30,000 people who have succumbed to mesothelioma, the Manchester Evening News reported.

The event was held on July 2 and sponsored by the Greater Manchester Asbestos Victims Support Group.

Lauren Ross, a campaigner at the event who saw her husband Frank pass away from the illness in February 2007 at the age of 60, said that she still had worries about asbestos exposure with regard to her daughter – who is training to be a teacher in buildings that were built using the fiber. Additionally, she said that homeowners should be aware that their homes may also have been built using asbestos.

“There are dozens of garages where we live which are riddled with asbestos,” she said, according to the Evening News. “Home owners need to be aware of this. They can’t just go knocking them down. The dust would go everywhere.”

The event was one of many recent attempts by the support group to reach out to factory workers and warn them of the dangers of asbestos exposure that include an increased risk of developing mesothelioma or asbestos cancer later in life.

For those who have been diagnosed with mesothelioma cancer that can be linked to asbestos exposure that occurred while working for a former employer, you may be entitled to financial compensation. Contact an experienced mesothelioma attorney to learn more about your rights, and to see if pursuing a mesothelioma settlement is in your best interest.

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Noted doctor calls for worldwide ban on asbestos usage

Posted by John in Asbestos Legal Help on August 29, 2010

A noted doctor and his colleagues from the Collegium Ramazzini have thrown their support behind a global asbestos-usage ban in order to decrease the number of mesothelioma and asbestos cancer diagnoses around the world.

Along with other Fellows of the independent, international academy that is the home to 180 renowned experts in occupational and environmental health, Dr. Joseph LaDou recently stated that a worldwide ban on asbestos was needed in order to see a significant decline in diseases that have been linked to the fiber.

“All asbestos-related diseases are preventable if asbestos is banned globally,” he said, according to an article in Environmental Protection.

Currently 52 countries have banned asbestos usage within their borders. The United States is among the countries that have not yet enacted a ban on the fibers.

According to EP, there are still 2 million metric tons of asbestos produced every year and exposed to more than 125 million people who work at companies that deal with the substance on a regular basis. Still more likely interact with asbestos in their homes where the fibers were used during its construction as a fire retardant.

For those who have been diagnosed with mesothelioma cancer that can be linked to asbestos exposure caused by a product or former employer, you may be entitled to financial compensation. Contact an experienced mesothelioma attorney to learn more about your rights, and to see if pursuing a mesothelioma settlement is in your best interest.

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Ruptured steam pipe in Boston leads to asbestos exposure worries

Posted by John in Asbestos Exposure on August 28, 2010

The Boston Fire Department is dealing with yet another steam pipe break that may have spewed asbestos fibers used in the pipe’s construction into the air and putting residents at risk for exposure.

On August 27, a steam pipe located underneath Milk Street in Boston’s downtown ruptured and sent steam flowing through the pavement and onto the street, leaving a 27 inch hole in the ground as a result.

City firemen and hazardous material crews descended on the scene while the road was closed off to the public as tests were conducted to see if any asbestos had been exposed and made its way into the air.

“It erupted, and put a pretty large hole in the street. Debris blown across the street. Thank goodness there wasn’t no pedestrians or anybody out here, and the weather was like today,” Fred Ellis, Jr. of the Boston Fire Department told WHDH-TV, the city’s NBC affiliate. “Nice day and there would’ve been a lot of people out here, so we’re fortunate it rained as it did.”

The latest pipe burst in Boston came one month after another ruptured steam pipe in the city’s South End sent steam and debris into the air and concerned some that asbestos may have been exposed as well.

“The least of our worries is steam, but the most of our worries is the pipes may be contaminated with asbestos, so when it pops up it gets into the environment, so we just want to make sure that it is in fact just steam and not any asbestos,” said Boston Fire Department Chief Andre Stallworth at the time, according to WHDH-TV.

The South End area was sectioned off as well, with specialized asbestos management teams sent in to control the situation and test for any asbestos that may have made its way into the air.

For those who have been diagnosed with mesothelioma cancer that can be linked to asbestos exposure, you may be entitled to financial compensation. Contact an experienced mesothelioma attorney to learn more about your rights, and to see if pursuing a mesothelioma settlement is in your best interest.

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Asbestos, Quebec mayor cancels town-wide Relay For Life fundraising event

Posted by John in Mesothelioma on August 26, 2010

The town of Asbestos, Quebec has once again found itself at the center of controversy as it continues to defend the mining operations of asbestos fibers that detractors contend are continuing to kill people around the world.

The most recent flap between the town – which is the home to an asbestos mine – and anti-asbestos organizations came in July when the town elected to cancel a Relay For Life fundraising event  sponsored by the Canadian Cancer Society in order to support its mining industry.

“It’s our past, it’s our history, therefore the population is united in support of the mining industry,” Asbestos’ Mayor Hugues Grimard said, according to the Canadian Broadcasting Centre.

The decision comes after the CCS authored a letter to Premier Jean Charest asking him to not pledge a loan for the town’s mine that would enable it to stay in business. The mine had previously filed for bankruptcy protection.

“For sure, it’s a shame because we won’t be giving back to a cause for cancer research,” Grimard added.

André Beaulieu, a spokesman for the Canadian Cancer Society, told the CBC that the organization would not adjust its stance on the mine in Asbestos and hoped that Canadian officials would choose to use the money in other ways to help the town.

“We are concerned about the fact that asbestos is a fiber that is killing people,” Beaulieu said. The CCS has said that 90,000 people are killed every year from asbestos that is mined in Quebec.

“Our mandate is really public health and right now, obviously, the community’s looking from an economic point of view and we understand,” he added.

Since it was first initiated four years ago, the Asbestos leg of the 12-hour overnight fundraising event had raised nearly $350,000.

For those who have been diagnosed with mesothelioma cancer that can be linked to asbestos exposure caused by a product or former employer, you may be entitled to financial compensation. Contact an experienced mesothelioma attorney to learn more about your rights, and to see if pursuing a mesothelioma settlement is in your best interest.

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