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Dear [Your Congressman's Name],
As one of your constituents from [your
home town], I wish to congratulate you and your colleagues
of the 110th Congress. I am encouraged that this
Congress can make a real difference for the thousands of
Americans whose lives have been terribly affected by the
deadly asbestos-cancer, mesothelioma, including
mine.
Mesothelioma aggressively and painfully invades the lining
of the lungs, heart or stomach until it destroys the vital
organs. Diagnosis is difficult and often delayed. Prognosis
is very poor (4 to 14 months average). In most cases,
standard treatments have only limited effect. There is no
cure.
Asbestos, once was regarded as the magic
mineral, has become a deadly killer. From the 1930s through
the late 1970s, asbestos was used virtually everywhere in
industry, manufacturing and construction, and tens of
millions of American workers suffered dangerous exposures.
My life drastically changed when…[your story].
We still do not know the long term impact
of asbestos on Americans, because of the ten to fifty year
latency of the disease; the continued exposure from
incidents such as 9/11 and Katrina; and the fact that many
products sold in the United States still contain asbestos.
As you know, the tunnels beneath your very own workplace,
our nation's Capitol, are highly contaminated with
asbestos, and the tunnel workers have been dangerously
exposed. A particularly toxic form of asbestos from just
one product, an attic insulation, is estimated to persist
today in 35 million U.S. homes. Asbestos continues to
contaminate our workplaces, homes, schools, hospitals, even
drinking water, and millions of us are still being exposed
to this silent killer.
There is an organization that is working
hard to change the outcome of a diagnosis of mesothelioma,
and give hope to the families who have suffered so much.
The Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation (Meso
Foundation) is the national nonprofit bringing
together top mesothelioma physicians, medical researchers,
patients and family members, and patient advocates in a
focused effort to advance medical research to improve
diagnosis and treatment of this deadly cancer.
I hope over the next two years of the
110th Congress you will work with them in making
a real difference in the lives of the thousands of
Americans now battling mesothelioma and the many thousands
more who will face it in coming years.
For more information please contact the
Meso Foundation Executive Director, Christopher E. Hahn at
c-hahn@marf.org or
call him directly, 805-877-6376.
Thank you for caring,
[Your name, street address, and email
address]
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