Notes from THE U.S.A.
"There was no protection for anyone from any airborne dust"
Mr. Worthington,
I just found your web site http://www.mesothel.com/pages/ships_destroyers.htm
I noticed that the ship I was stationed on ( USS Rogers DD876 ) is not on your list. However I do know there was asbestos in the firerooms and possibly in the engine rooms also. I was stationed onboard from 1 / 75 to 7 / 79 . I was a boiler Tech. in the after fireroom. I know there was asbestos in our work space as the black oil heaters were still in the fireroom but not being used. We went through the ship yards here in Portland Oregon the winter of 76/77. There was no protection for anyone from any airborne dust etc. There were only a few times when we were asked to leave the fireroom because of the work being done by the yard workers. I will forward your web site to someone I know who has breathing problems possibly from asbestos.
Iain Turriff
Passing of Alan Reinstein
May 23, 2006
On behalf of Linda and Emily Reinstein, I wish to inform you of the death of Alan Reinstein (wonderful husband and father). Linda and Emily were with Alan today during the final moments of his courageous fight with mesothelioma. He died at 1:00pm. They miss him already. Their hearts are broken. They said that together, they will regain their strength and find comfort in their sweet memories of Alan. To honor the family's privacy, please do not call the home at this difficult time. Alan was President of Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization.
Funeral services will be held on Wednesday, May 24 at 2:00pm at Hillside Memorial Park in Culver City, CA (6001 Centinela Ave - phone, 641-0707) A shiva minyan will begin at 6PM on the evening of the funeral at the Reinstein home at 1801 Tenth Street in Manhattan Beach, CA. If you have questions or need further information, please contact the synagogue office (546-3667), Carole Allen 545-2213 or Freddi Segel-Gidan 372-3708 Memorial donations can be made to Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization. http://www.asbestosdiseaseawareness.org/about_adao/adao_donate.html
Alan was such an incredible husband, father, and friend. It is because of his mesothelioma diagnosis almost three years ago, that ADAO was founded. Prior to his diagnosis, Alan was a successful regional manager for an IT consulting company, skied black diamond runs, climbed Half Dome in Yosemite and ran even the New York and Los Angeles marathons.
Alan felt so strongly about asbestos disease awareness education and prevention, that he gave his wife, Linda, and friend, Doug the encouragement and funding to establish the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization. Alan spoke to countless patients and their families and always found an inspirational message of hope.
Alan was diagnosed with mesothelioma at age 63, on the day after Father's Day in 2003, with mesothelioma, caused by inhaling perhaps a single fiber of asbestos up to 50 years ago.
In July 2003, Alan chose the radical Extrapleural Pneumonectomy (EPP) which involved the removal of his lung, pleura, pericardium, and diaphragm as a 'treatment'. This surgery is one of the most horrific surgeries that a person can undergo.
Roughly 10,000 Americans per year die of cancer caused by asbestos. One of out every 125 deaths of men over the age of 50 is caused from asbestos. About 35 million homes built before the late 1970s contain asbestos, usually in the insulation, floor tiles, or roofing material. Only when the material gets disturbed, maybe during a remodel or tear down, do the fibers pose a risk. Nearly everyone can think of a time he or she could have been exposed. Scientists suspect that victims' DNA makeup may contribute to the onset of disease, in conjunction with simple exposure.
This courageous man insisted on making the trip from California to New York City for the 2nd Annual Asbestos Awareness Day less than 2 months ago on April 1st. Alan, we are so proud of you. Your courage and strength will always be inspirational to us all. Emily and Linda adore you. You are the wind beneath their wings.
Marilyn Amento
ADAO National Representatives' Director
"They are getting away with murder!"
My Husband served aboard many ships in the 1950s and 1960s. He was diagnosed with lung cancer due partly because of smoking and asbestos.
I filed a lawsuit about one year ago. Partly because of the recent bankruptcy's of asbestos companies, I have received approximately $600 dollars from only five companies. That is all he gets for serving his county.
My husband passed away in February of 2002. These companies knew that the asbestos was causing trouble for the men and did nothing about it. They are getting away with murder.
Nancy W.
"...she would not be alive today." Lake Tahoe, NV
December 14, 2001
I believe you already know my sister. Her name is Sharon Johnson and she lives in Valparaiso, Indiana. She was diagnosed with peritoneal mesothelioma in 1999. It was Mr. Worthington that helped my sister find Dr. Taub. I firmly believe that if not for him and his web site she would not be alive today. Our other sister, Pat Kelm, died of pleural mesothelioma in 1990. She couldn't find any helpful information. There wasn't an Internet like we know it today.
I'm so glad that there is now a foundation (MARF) to help with funding for research. Research has been lacking for too many years. Too many lives have been lost to this needless disease. Thank you and all members for getting information out to people and hopefully someday a cure.
Sue Huff
Student Services
Lake Tahoe Community College
Asbestos Message on Your Web Site Helped Save a Life.
December 29, 2000
Dear. Mr. Worthington:
I received this message from Denis Nicastro and I thought your office would be interested in same as my asbestos message on your web site helped save a life.
Best Regards and happy new year.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Dear Jim,
This is to let you know that I was diagnosed with lung cancer; right lung, middle lobe. The tumor was removed on 11/6/00. Since then I have been taking radiation treatments. I have taken 6 and have 24 more or less to go. I have less than one mm.floating around and the doctor seems very confident that the radiation will do the job of destroying it. I also found out that asbestos played a role in starting the tumor. I have contacted a law firm that specializes in these kind of law suites. I neglected writing to you until I knew what was going on with me. When this is over, I woud like to personally thank you. I can't thank you enough. As it is, my wife and I would consider it an honor for us to book a room at a local motel and meet you and your wife. The least we can do is to take you out to your favorite restaurant.hey, you saved my life. Every time I tell this story, I get looks and comments of amazement.
I wish you and yours a happy and healthy holiday season.thank you again for sending out that very special e-mail.hoping to see you in the spring.
Gratefully,
Denis
Fibre Glass Ducts, a Health Hazard? Tualatin, Oregon
August 1, 2000
To whom it may concern:
I would like to draw to your attention a serious flaw in the construction industry.
I don't know whether you are aware of it or not, but in the heating and air conditioning systems being installed, the contractors are using fibre glass ducts. It is much cheaper than the metal ducts which are usually wrapped on the outside with foil faced blanket fibre glass which is O.K. health wise. The fibre glass duct is light to handle, much faster to fabricate and much faster to install, and subsequently does not require insulating, being already made of fibre glass. The inside of the duct is raw fibre glass, the pressurized air passing through the duct keeps wearing off and blowing out into the air we (inhabitants of the building) breathe. I have talked to many sheet metal mechanics that have gone back on some of these buildings just a few short years after installation to replace some of this duct work, especially the 90 degree turns, to find only the foil paper left holding it together. Also, when they fabricate the various Y's and T's and various fittings, they install metal dampers so the air flow can be opened, shut off or diverted. When these dampers are operated they scrape the walls of the glass, so more loose fibers are released into the areas they serve.
This duct work is being installed every day, in every conceivable type of commercial buildings, e.g.; schools, office buildings hospitals, clinics ,etc.. One of the major manufacturers, Johns Manville (The Manville Corporation), has a warning label on every carton of fibre glass pipe insulation which is the same kind of glass duct is made of and states "Avoid breathing the fibre glass duct particles and wear protective clothing because this product has been found to cause cancer in laboratory animals". I am enclosing a copy of such a label from a typical carton.
I am not certain about this, but I have been told that the State of California has prohibited the use of fibre glass duct. I know that they require warning labels on fibre glass building products. I have also heard that Japan has considers the fibre glass particles as a real health hazard. Are we going to wait until the general public finds out about this health hazard as we did with asbestos ?
I do not know how many places are fabricating these duct systems but if you wish to see for yourselves first hand, go to the E.J. Bartells Co. at 2600 SE Mailwell, Milwaukie, Oregon (97222) and ask to see the fabrication shop. Have them demonstrate how the dampers work inside the duct. You will note that men doing the fabricating are all wearing masks. What protection does the unsuspecting public have ?
The sooner we stop this practice, the less we will have to remove later as with the legacy of asbestos insulation.
A concerned citizen and retired asbestos worker.
Son of Deceased Houston Insulator: "I hope you bankrupt the lousy bastards!" Houston, Texas
Dear Mr. Worthington,
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. You have an excellent excellent website.
My father was a 50 year member of Local 22 of the International Union of Heat and Frost Asbestos Workers here in Houston.
He died February 24, 1999, from complications of his asbestos exposure. Before he died he had signed a settlement agreement with Pittsburgh Corning; they would grudgingly pay out small settlement over a 2 1/2 year period. The final, and or course, largest payment was due in April 2000,
The good ethical businessmen at PC found a Federal judge in Pittsburgh late one Sunday afternoon in March 2000 to sign a restraining order against their agreed to settlement. Surprise, surprise, surprise.
All the asbestos manufacturers are foul, evil and wicked. They are worse than the vilest crack dealer. I have written several letters to the corrupt Federal Judge Judith Fitzgerald. No answer from that royal highness yet. Surprise, surprise, surprise.
KEEP UP your good work. You are on the right side of this fight. I hope you eventually are able to slay the dragon. I hope you totally bankrupt those lousy bastards. It will be a happy day for me.
Thanks again for this WEBSITE. I have it bookmarked.
Curtis R. Brown
Alewife Study Group and W.R. Grace in Cambridge Massachusetts , Cambridge, Massachusetts
February 3, 2000
My name is Joe Joseph. I live in North Cambridge adjacent to a large W.R. Grace facility. For the past two decades our neighborhood has been involved with Grace and various activities at the site, and for the past six years we have been volunteering large amounts of time in various oversight activities. We have found your site to be very useful, particularly with our monitoring of WR Grace as they proceed through the compliance with MCP (Masachusetts Environmental Regulatory Process). About three years ago, we began to research the history of the site as a means of verifying Grace's version of past site activities.
As you might suspect, much of what we uncovered was disturbing, and as a result, Grace has had to revise its description of site activities substantially. One of the areas that we researched involved tips from older residents that sometime during the thirties, automotive friction products were manufactured there. As a result of about a year and a half of research, we assembled our results and presented them to the state DEP, Grace and others, pointing that there was substantial reason to suspect that the site has contaminants never tested for and we requested that Grace agree to examine the soil for fiber. As it turned, the site was grossly contaminated with both chrysotile, and amosite asbestos. In addition there was a trace of crocilidite as well. The total fiber content is estimated at between 600,000lbs and 1.2 million pounds of loose fiber in soils.
Grace now has filed a new RTN (Release Tracking Number) and has adjusted their response to the MCP. In addition, the City of Cambridge, MA has passed an Asbestos Protection Ordinance which would act city-wide. We believe that it may be first-in-the-nation.
In the process of these activities, we have put together a website, detailing our work, with accessible documentation and sampling result maps. We are wondering if you would consider adding our site as a link on you homepage. We have added your site to our page. Let us know if this is possible, and once again thank you for posting such a useful and well-designed site. I will leave a clickable link at the end of this e-mail. Thanks.
http://www.alewife.org/ : Alewife Study Group and W.R. Grace in Cambridge Massachusetts
Joe Joseph
20 Kassul Park
Cambridge, MA 02140
email: JoeWorld2@aol.com
Another American Family Destroyed by JM Greed and Malice
September 20, 1999
Alex Paul Brown, my father, and also his father, Robert Brown, worked at Johns-Manville during the 30's and 40's. My grandfather died first, basically choked off from breathing in 1947. My father worked at J-M for about 10 years, until about 1946, when he left and went into business for himself. The asbestosis caught up with him in the mid-50's and he died in 1958. The asbestos in his lungs left about the space of a 25 cent piece for breathing. His heart had enlarged to fill most of his chest cavity in an effort to breathe. He did not have cancer -- but his lungs were filled with asbestos dust.
Since NJ had a compensation law, passed in the late 1940's, a claim could not be filed unless filed in the immediate two years after end of employment (statute of limitations). Therefore, my mother received an out-of-court settlement for $4000, which paid off the bills and the remainder of the mortgage ($500 left) and left us with nothing.
Good luck if you are one pursuing J-M. We knew at the time that J-M
would probably not pay anything, but the courts have changed since the
OJ verdict.
Thanks
Cliff
cliffbrown@gridusa.net
9/19/99
83 Years old, Peritoneal and Pleural MM, "fair days and really, really bad days." , Lawton, Oklahoma
June 22, 1999
Dear Mr. Worthington,
My mother is a victim of both pleural and peritoneal....If I understand the two terms correctly. In June of 1997, she began to feel the tumor that eventually extended from her left hipbone across the top of her abdomen. After her surgery, we were told that she had mesothelioma of the lining of her abdominal cavity and the oncologist had no treatment to offer her. We were told she had 90 days give or take.
My sister and brother are in the medical profession and after some research, we asked that she be given Taxol. We turned to prayer and after her third treatment, she was cancer free........not in remission....but cancer free. The oncologist told me that the medicine did nothing for her and her family and the doctor all believe that we experienced a miracle cure. She did take another three treatments of Taxol "just in case"....
She has been fine until March of 1999, when she developed a blood clot in the vein on the left side of her neck. While doing a routine chest x-ray, they found fluid on her right lung. This was drained off and biopsied and it showed mesothelioma cells. Her primary physician told us the cancer was back but her oncologist is not ready to say that.
We did another chest x-ray on May 20th and again on June 16th and the fluid has returned and is increasing. Her primary physician does not want to drain the fluid as she is 83 years old.
So that is where we are at this moment. My mother has fair days and really, really bad days but there is relatively no pain.
My father worked in an office supply store for 50 years and my mother was a housewife. We cannot imagine where she contacted this and of course, there are six of us children and we are worried about our probability of having this disease.
I do appreciate your taking the time to answer my E-mail. .. I guess I am just looking for answers at this time.
Sincerely,
Sandra Banta Roberts
Lawton, Oklahoma
Family Trying to Deal with Their Father's Death, Casper, Wyoming
March 22, 1999
Dear Mr. Worthington, I don't know how to thank you for all the information you have provided so many people. My family lost our dad on January 22, 1999 from lung cancer he was a sheetmetal worker for more then 25 years. We were refereed to you by a friend of our family and are still waiting for the test results. Not only have we had to try to deal with the death of our dad we have also been forced to deal with the death of our brother that had lived with my dad and taken care of him for the last 2 years of his life. My brother committed suicide one month after daddy died because he could not deal with life after building his around our dad for so long. I feel the companies that make asbestos have robed me, my other brothers and sisters and all of our children of a wonderful dad and now our brother. Thank you for all that you are doing to help the families that have suffered so much pain for no reason.
Kelly D. Holt, daughter of Loyd Goode, Casper, WY.
Libby, Montana Jury Finds WRG Liable in Wrongful Death Claim of 78 year old Woman with Household Exposure, Libby, Montana
January 7, 1999
Roger, in case you haven't heard, the trial is over. Two weeks of testimony and the verdict was guilty. The Jury found that Grace's negligence resulted in the death of my mother due to asbestosis. Her exposure was from washing my father's work clothes. My father died in 1974 of asbestosis. Mother died in 1996.
This is the first verdict ever handed down in Libby District Court against WRG for a wrongful death. There has been one other guilty verdict against the company here, but it was for concealment, pain and suffering. All of the rest have settled out of court with WRG's "gag" order. Bluntly, they have received their checks and have gone home quietly to die.
I felt as though I had danced with the Devil and spit in his eye once it was over. Naturally, during the trial, the offers were there. I told them all from the start that money wasn't the object. Before the trial ended, the offers for an out of court settlement were larger than the company had given a lot of my friends who were sick and dying. Their motto must be "Win at any Price!" I stuck to my promise to my parents. I needed the guilty verdict.
In the end, the jury awarded $250,000 for the death of a 78 year old woman to her two middle aged daughters. In Libby terms, that was big bucks! The bigger reward for me was the guilty verdict.
The jury's logic in awarding $250,000 was because it was proven in court that WRG could have built a change/shower room facility years ago that would have saved a lot of lives of family members. They felt then that the cost was prohibitive. The price of the building was $250,000! That amount and that verdict will serve well to send a message to the company.
My case was based primarily on principle. WRG was responsible for the deaths of my parents and it was necessary for my family to stand up to them in court. My health is good, my voice is strong. My children had been deprived of the right to know their grandparents as they should have been, had it not been for the carelessness and greed displayed by WRG. They had watched both grandparents struggle and slowly suffocate. One of my grand daughters asked me, "Am I going to die of it [asbestos exposure] too? Living all of her life in Libby, I couldn't answer.
My children and grandchildren were behind me every step of the way. They were aware of every offer that I received. Never did they waver. Somehow I have managed to pass down a set of values taught to me by my parents. We all needed the verdict for closure. My parents would have been proud.
It is still an uphill battle here in Libby getting people to realize what has gone on and trying to get them to correct it. Slowly, people are coming forth that wouldn't have, had there not been the trial.
This is Libby, Montana and the "good old boys" are still in control. I doubt if I will see a change in my time, but perhaps I have helped to open a few eyes here. Meanwhile, as I said before, I will just continue on as I have, being the "Rabble Rouser" that they accused me of being.
Gayla
Veteran Virginia Judge Dies from Mesothelioma, Norfolk, Virginia
November 30, 1998
My father was a Virginia Circuit Court Judge and was on the bench for over 20 years. Before that, he was City Attorney for the City of Chesapeake, Virginia and Commonwealth Attorney for the City of South Norfolk, Virginia. He was diagnosed with mesothelioma in May of 1998 and passed away after contracting pneumonia on November 1, 1998.
All of the city buildings in Chesapeake had asbestos in them at one time (floor tiles, ceiling tiles, and pipe covers). This concerns me (since I am the Deputy Director for Chesapeake Court Services--juvenile probation--and have been working in those same city buildings). I also believe that my dad was exposed when he worked during the summer through college. One summer he worked at Norfolk Naval Shipyard inside the ships and one summer he worked at the Ford Plant in Norfolk on the assembly line.
I just wanted to thank you for your web site. I was able to find a great deal of valuable information and other links that helped us understand the disease as well as other options that kept my father's hopes up right to the end. I truly appreciate this service. When I started my research, this was the only web site I found that gave me such a wealth of information.
Let me know if your foundation develops. My mother and I would gladly make contributions if it would help someone else with this terrible disease.
Sincerely,
Beth St. John
MBST.JOHN@prodigy.net
Asbestos DeTox
October 12, 1998
Hello,
I just visited your web-site today and would like to say thank you for taking the time to gather all of that information and making it available. The whole back-and-forth thing with the asbestosindustry reminds me of the recent tobacco industry fiasco. And just like them, they'll admit the problem gradually.
I heard somewhere that there is a product available (or just becoming available) which when applied to asbestos products (i.e. wall board or floor tiles) will change it's structure and reduce or eliminate it's cancer-causing properties.
Is this true? If so, do you happen to know who makes it and where it might be available?
Thanks very much,
Glenn N. Golter
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
Dear Glenn:
Thank you for the kind words. We try hard to stay on the cutting edge of the law and medicine. I hope you are right that one day Tobacco will fess up and compensate smokers who were addicted to tobacco at an early age.
I have heard about the "asbestos eating" product to which you referred. According to an article in Discover Magazine dated May, 1998, such a breakthrough may be on the immediate horizon. A team of researchers from Brookhaven National Laboratory on Long Island and W.R. Grace & Co (which manufactured asbestos-containing spray-on plasters and fire proofings for many years) have developped a method of transforming chrysotile fibers into apparently non-asbestos constituents. The removal formula consists of a powerful acid combined with a fluoride ion, which acts as a catalyst. The chemical reaction breaks up the asbestos fiber and leaves behind a clumpy blob that is not easily airborne.
According to the news release, the remaining substance after the acid dousing is less than one percent asbestos. The result is a mixture of silica oxide, magnesium oxide and other minerals. The formula can be added to steel beams with fireproofing on it and the resulting mix will still provide fire retardent properties. The chemical (which has the consistency of shaving cream) can be applied directly to asbestos in place on walls, ceilings, pipes and hi-temperature machinery.
If this works like the press reports say it does, the asbestos manufacturers should pay the costs of applying the asbestos "detox". If they don't, they are merely continuing to recklessly endanger lives by not cleaning up the poison for which they are responsible.
Best Regards
Roger Worthington
Daughter Toughing It Out for Her Hero, Topsham, Maine
September 10, 1998
My father has mesothelioma. He worked as an electrician's assistant/welder for the Bath Iron Works many years ago. He never smoked. He was the manager of a bookstore/office supply store following the war. He has very little time left. Thank you for having a web page with other people's stories. It is difficult to not know of anyone else with this disease, or family that has gone through it. I am responsible for his care, which will soon be extensive. He was no star, not well known outside our little community, but he brought three girls up to be decent, honest, hardworking, excellent parents and community members. To me that is a hero. He took care of me and I don't think he deserves this.
I was comforted just to read from your website that I wasn't alone. I am glad you are
looking out for people who are going through this. It is very weird to be so intimately involved in this process. I guess I sound naive ( I guess I am naive) but this has thrown me for a complete loop. My older sister is epileptic and my younger sister doesn't handle things like this very well. I have helped bring them up since age ten. Always thought I could handle anything, strong and tough. I handle this when I am with dad but I sure don't when I am away from him.
Thanks again.
Vicki Kelley
smithtwn@agate.net
"Asbestos Companies Played Russian Roulette With My Father." Cleveland, Ohio
August 31, 1998
In January of 1998 my father was diagnosed with Mesothelioma. Living in Seattle and my family located in Ohio, I immediately searched the Internet for Mesothelioma web sites. Fortunately the first web site that appeared on my search engine was that of Roger Worthington.
I immediately searched through all the information and immediately knew that my fathers survival chances were very slim. My father had worked as a boiler engineer and in maintenance in Findlay, Ohio. Dad went in for Chemotherapy and radiation during the month of March at the Cleveland clinic. Every time I would call all he could talk about was the pain that he was in and how he would be glad when the radiation treatment was over and he could be home.
My dad fought a valiant battle but it was not to be. I immediately caught a flight home as soon as possible. I knew from the information from your Web page that my father would not look the same as he did in January. When I walked in the hospital room on May 8 it was a day I will never forget. He couldn't have weighed more than 115 lbs. and looked to be over 90 years old. (he was 76) My father recognized me at first and we talked about his favorite pastime, watching the Cleveland Indians.
That same day My younger brother flew his family in from Florida to say goodbye. To watch my five nephews say goodbye to Grandpa was about all that I could handle. These companies that had produced asbestos had played Russian Roulette with my father's life and he had lost.
My Father passed away on Friday May 15, 1998.
Once again thanks for all the information and the comforting profiles of others who have lost family members to this horrific disease.
sincerely
Robert George
Hard Working Boilermaker and Poet-Warrior, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
June 27, 1998
Dear Mr. Worthington,
My Uncle Thomas C. Henderson is dying from lung cancer caused by asbestos. He was a boilermaker. To see him go from a strong healthy hard working man to frail weak and sickly man is both heartbreaking and unjust. He worked hard all his life and always lived life to the fullest. He didn't deserve this fate. See: http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Coffeehouse/2738/Hndrsn.htm
It is so hard to watch someone die who shouldn't be, he should be enjoying his retirement, working on his books, playing with his grand-daughter and doing things with his family and friends, but instead he is laid up in a hospital bed struggling for every breath, suffering through chemo and radiation and so drugged that he doesn't even know we are there. It is so unfair! I love my uncle, he is one of my heroes. He is part of what made America great. He has always been a fighter and now he is fighting the fight of his life. Eighteen months ago, they (his doctors) gave him 2 months to live and he proved them wrong, but I'm afraid this time he truly is in the End-game. This whole thing has angered me to the point of violence, but I know that's not how we settle things in a democracy. The people and companies that caused this as well as all the other deaths should be made to pay, (my dad's cousin Bucky Woods also a Boiler Maker, died from lung cancer caused by asbestos). They should not be able to hide behind bankruptcies and lawyers while continuing to create their poison and death. Families should not have to suffer because of the greed of these companies. What are we to do? I see all these law suites and settlements and that's all well and good, but it can never cover the pain and misery asbestos and the companies that make it have caused and it can never bring back our loved ones. I would get more personal satisfaction exposing the people responsible for this injustice to their own products so they can suffer the same fate as my Uncle and other asbestos victims. As a Christian, an eye for an eye goes against Christ's teachings, so what are we to do? How do we deal with this? I'm at a loss.
My dad worked as Boiler Maker and has also been diagnosed with asbestosis. He said when they were working on blast furnaces and boilers, asbestos would be coming down like snow, that some workers during breaks would make a mattress and pillow out of asbestos and take a cat nap. The whole thing sounds to me like some sort of vision of hell. These men never knew the dangers they were being exposed to. The worst they thought could happen was that they might fall or be crushed.
So far my Dad has not shown any symptoms, but who is to say what the future holds for him. Medical science has nothing to offer and their cures are almost worse than the disease.
I don't know what I'm asking of you. I guess I'm just venting, but what can I do? How can I help? I'm an artist, what can I do to help fight this evil? This is the first time I've ever investigated the subject of asbestos and I'm glad to see that there are people like you fighting this. May God bless you in your work against this monster.
Thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
Donald Patrick Henderson
PS: My uncle was administered Last Rights yesterday, but is still fighting the good fight. My Father and Uncle are involved in a class action suite with the Boiler Makers Union against asbestos manufacturers. To date they have received minuscule settlements from several manufacturers.
June 30, 1998
Dear Roger,
Thank you for responding so quickly to my E-mail, but sad to say it was too late for my Uncle Tom, he passed away quietly yesterday surrounded by loved ones at 4 PM at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center in his beloved Oakland where he grew up. It was a sad ending to such a wonderful man. He never complained or felt sorry for himself. He took this like the brave man that he was.
He had lied about his age and enlisted in the Navy at age 17 in WWII. He was on DE700, the USS Currier and was part of a Hunter Killer Group that hunted U-Boats in the Atlantic, later they were involved in the invasion of Southern France. After that he was stationed in North Africa, and after that he served on an LST in the Pacific. After his time in the Navy, he joined the Army and was stationed stateside.
In his life he raised 3 daughters, he traveled the world, he sat atop the Great Pyramid at Giza, explored the Valley of the Kings and he claimed to be the only man who knew how the pyramids were built. He was a very creative and talented man and I'm proud to say he was my Uncle. He used to proudly boast that "We are Hendersons" and as a child I never knew what it meant, but as an adult I learned from him and my Dad that it meant never backing down from a fight, to always do the right thing despite the pressures to do wrong, to walk tall and to always play the cards God gives you no matter how bad the hand, to make the best of life and don't waste it, to always work hard and that the price of doing something is always less than the cost of doing nothing.
He worked most of his life as a Boiler Maker here in Western Pennsylvania. Most of the family had either been Railroaders with the Pennsylvania Railroad or Boiler Makers. Boiler and blast furnace making was almost the family business. My Dad, his brothers and their uncles and cousins were all Boiler Makers. The Henderson and Woods Families worked every major boiler or blast furnace project in Western PA. I remember as a child, when the steel mills were still working, driving by on the Parkway and them saying with pride "We helped build that". Names like Clearfield still stick in my head. I was just a small child when they worked at Clearfield. It must have been a big job, because they were gone a lot. There was always great excitement when they came home. They were the hardest working men I've ever known, my heroes. I was always so amazed at the stories and even dreamed of being a Boiler Maker like them, even though I had no idea what that was. I just saw the fire breathing Monsters on the Mon (the steel mills along the Monongahela River east of Pittsburgh) and was amazed that my Dad and Uncle Tom built them. Luckily for me, God had other plans and I became the first generation not to be a Boiler Maker.
I see you as a Freedom Fighter against asbestos. Alone we are just victims, but together we could be an army.
In the Irish Republican movement the Irish Hunger Striker Bobby Sands, MP said: "That we all have a part to play" The Hendersons are ready to play their part. You just say the word.
Sincerely and at your service,
Donald Patrick Henderson & Family
732 MM Deaths in Manville, Somerset County, New Jersey
June 15, 1998
"This study evaluates the environmental, nonoccupational component of mesothelioma incidence among persons living in Manville, Somerset County, New Jersey, the location of the largest asbestos manufacturing plant in North America.
Prior to removal of occupational cases, residents of Manville had an average annual (1979-1990) mesothelioma rate of 636 male cases and 96 female cases per million population, about 25 times higher than average state rates. Somerset County had 143 diagnosed mesothelioma cases reported to the population-based. New Jersey State Cancer Registry from 1979 through 1990. Cases were removed from the analysis when their "usual employment" was reported as being at the asbestos plant, as evidenced through union lists or occupational information from either the Cancer Registry or mortality records.... This record-based approach demonstrates a strong relationship between past asbestos exposure from living in Manville and eventual development of mesothelioma. The use of methods in this study may be helpful in evaluating hazards of other knownccupational carcinogens found in community settings.
Consumer and Environmental Health Services, New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services, Trenton, NJ. Source: Environ Res, 75(1):34-40 1997 Oct.
Dr. Harvey Pass Earned Our Trust - Baltimore, Maryland
May 20, 1998
I will write again another time as it's late. However, I must say what a surprise to find this site. My father passed away as a result of mesothelioma which he developed after working in the Tampa shipyards over 50 years ago. He was a patient of Dr. Harvey Pass at NCI in Bethesda.
It's been over a year now, but as I'm sure you can imagine, it is still a very sad thing. I am pleased to read of Dr. Pass's continuing work. He was, and I assume is, a true pioneer and an excellent doctor. He earned my father's complete respect and confidence, which in itself was no easy feat.
Keep up the good work. And thanks for this website. I didn't know so many others have had the same experience. Thank you.
DP
Peritoneal Mesothelioma
May 4, 1998
Hi!
I have been diagnosed with Begninant Peritoneal Mesothelioma that behaves like it was Malignant. My doctor tells me I'm the only case in the world, and he doesn't know what to do. I have been through surgery eight times since I was diagnosed in 1991.
Have you heard of another case? Please let me know.
Best Regards,
Sylvia
erikshamn@geocities.com
mesothelioma Patient Finds Dr. Robinson at Moffitt, Florida
March 26, 1998
I just wanted to take a minute to thank you for your web page on mesothelioma.
My father was diagnosed with this cancer last week. The doctors at his local hospital in Florida basically told him that nothing can be done and he should go home and wait to die. I read some of the information on the Internet about mesothelioma and your information was much more positive than what he was told. I passed it on to him with the name of Dr. Robinson in Florida. After a few phone calls, my father was transferred yesterday to the Moffitt Cancer Center.
Whatever the outcome of this step, I feel very confident that he in a place where he will get the best possible treatment for this cancer. I am very appreciative that the information was available on Internet and thank you again for providing it.
Gail Bahuk
"Another Family Destroyed", Andy Roy, USS Wright
March 8, 1998
Hello, I have been reading your pages. Our story is typical of the families here. Hard for me to believe because when this is happening to your family you feel like you are the only one. My husband Andrew Roy was stationed on the USS Wright from 1962-1966 he worked in the boiler room of the ship. He was very healthy, never drank alcohol or smoked cigarettes. In May of 1995 he had surgery and was told he had mesothelioma. He lived for 3 months. We were married 27 years and have two daughters. Andy was 52 years old. Five weeks after the funeral our oldest daughter was married and last June our second daughter married. I walked both of them down the aisle and we made Andy proud of us by holding our heads up and being very proud. Now in September we will be Grandparents for the first time. There are no words to describe the emptiness, pain and loss.
Thank you, Bonnie Roy
Alternative Medicine Symposium - New York City, New York
March 4, 1998
Dear Roger,
I'm writing to tell you about the FAIM Ed Symposium on Complimentary Health Care. FAIM stands for "Foundation for the advancement of innovative medicine." This symposium, which will be held on March 28-29, will focus on "alternative" cancer therapies. It will be held at the Roosevelt Hotel on 45th street and Madison avenue in NYC. I have no affiliation with this symposium. I only wish to help cancer patients and their families find the best possible treatment. I lost my father to mesothelioma last August, and I know patients and their families can use all the help they can get. According to the brochure I received in the mail, this symposium will have many reputable alternative physicians, as well as a Dr. Oz, who is an attending surgeon in the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Columbia Presbyterian hospital here in NYC.
Instead of giving all the details from the brochure, which would take forever, I will give you the number to call for more Info: 914-368-3863. There will be many experts in the field of alternative medicine present at this symposium. I will probably be attending it myself, just for the learning experience.
Many people still feel uncomfortable with alternative medicine. One does not necessarily have to do just traditional medicine or alternative. In fact, I know of many that have combined the best of both worlds. I urge people to at least explore all their options before making a decision. It certainly cant hurt.
May God bless all of you who are suffering with cancer, and your loved one's. My prayers are with you.
Richard
Former Insurance Company Adjuster Expresses Anger Towards Asbestos Mftrs - Southern, California
February 20, 1998
I am new to AOL, but have found your area and find it most interesting. My husband, who is 60 years old, was diagnosed with upper intestinal mesothelioma in July of 1997. The surgeon told me and my daughter that surgery was not advisable. A well known oncologist group here in Southern California said there was a small window for chemotherapy. He has had 6 chemo treatments, (3 types at once and once a month). He has had no problems with the chemo, but is still weak. He is eating better and we pray for remission.
I sure have read a lot of your items on AOL and am actually taking some of it (copies) to our oncologist on Monday, when we go in to see him for our weekly blood results.
My husband is only 60 years old. He was healthy, and happy an loved by all. He loved his job but now he can't work.
He was in the Navy from 1956 to 1960 working in the engine room. The asbestos manufacturers need to be eaten alive, since I understand they were aware of this disease back in 1924 and hid the information. We will fight this to the end. We just cannot believe this has happened and I just hope the treatments will do something so we can at least get back to some normal life and enjoy our future retirement.
I agree with you that the government and public are all stuck on financing AIDS research and treatments now, which was mainly preventable, while mesothelioma victims had no hint of the dangers at all. Mesothelioma is epidemic for asbestos exposed people, who tend to be elderly, so it looks like the government doesn't think it's necessary to spend the research money to help us out. I'm darn mad about this.
I never ever would have filed a lawsuit against the manufacturers, except I was involved, as an insurance company claims manager, in learning quite a bit about this asbestosis in the late 70s and 80's. At that time, one of my coworkers did extensive research and presented a complete report to the CEO of the company. He told me that all insurance companies would have to start putting a reserve of money away for when the lawsuits hit, which he foresaw would wreak havoc. He predicted that some of the manufacturers would go bankrupt.
As a claims analyst, I was always on the defense side of lawsuit/claims. But since my husband was diagnosed, and we learned that the manufacturers knew about this since 1924, we decided to go ahead and file a lawsuit.
Keep up the good work. We love to read your items and we are encouraged by many of your clients and we only hope that my husband's mesothelioma will go into remission or go away.
Thanks - G.
Roll Labor! - Houston, Texas
February 11, 1998
Hello everyone at www.mesothel.com.
My daughter was doing a project on asbestos for school. She searched for asbestos on the Internet and found your site. We were particularly interested in the Labor Power bike team. My husband is the manager of a bike shop in Houston and we both ride regularly.
The team is doing wonderful things for your cause. And your web site is awesome! We were curious if you are selling the bike team jerseys to help make money for the team?
Let us know!
Thanks,
hillcountry@pdq.net
Dr. Jablon's MM Patient Receiving Taxol and Carboplatin - Fresno, California
February 2, 1998
Roger,
My father has been receiving chemotherapy from his oncologist in Fresno and this has at least improved his quality of life. We believe he also probably had a talc treatment when they went in for a thoracoscopy and the effusions have not returned. I went out to see him over the Christmas break and took him to San Francisco myself to see Dr. Jablons. It was a good visit.
Dr. Jablons apparently felt that the treatment my father is now getting (chemo only--Taxol and Carboplatin) is helping. Although Dr. Jablons' protocol is normally multimodal, he felt in my father's case, surgery wouldn't significantly improve his prognosis. He did feel there was a possibility that radiation might be indicated if the other chest cavity isn't involved (the CT scans taken before the treatment on my father started were inconclusive here--he felt dad could be either phase II or III). Dr. Jablons also stated he wasn't convinced his own chemo protocol was all that effective & based on the experience my father is having, he wanted to talk to my father's oncologist about that. He also recommended follow-up CT scans to show the progress of the treatment.
Thanks for all your help, concern, prayers, etc. We especially appreciate your Website. We're slowly trying to get dad to read the testimonials especially from the site. He wants to fight this thing but he really gets zoned out reading about it. We think it scares him too much. All he really wants to hear about are the success stories. Thanks again & let us know if there is anything else that you might suggest can be done. We're really looking for miracles here!!
Sincerely
Gary Edwards
Ho Ho Asbestos Contamination Questions - Omaha, Nebraska
January 28, 1998
My sister and her 3yr old daughter and 22 month old son each ate one the the Hostess ho-ho's that were recalled for possible asbestos contamination. Do you have any information on what symptoms or dangers to look for? Thank you. You can email me at either:
Jalley.mail.unmc.edu or Jalley777@aol.com.
Thank you, again, Judy Alley
Asbestos Safety Instructor Inquiry - New York, New York
November 14, 1997
I am an instructor of asbestos safety training courses in NYC. I have
visited your web site many times. You have always provided good,
accurate info. I have used your case studies and other information in
my class lectures. I am writing an article on asbestos victims of the
1990s. I have found it extremely difficult to obtain information about
today's asbestotics. I would appreciate any help you can give me.
Thank You,
Sincerely,
L. Russell
Words of Encouragement - Atlanta, Georgia
November 3, 1997
Thank you for your words of encouragement. I really appreciate your taking the time to "write" to me. I pray for your uncle, and would be happy to help in any way I can. I truly believe in the mind/body connection, and credit a positive outlook, prayer, and mental, spiritual and physical balance with feeling as I do. Mesothelioma has been a real turning point in my life in many ways - and opened my eyes wide to so many things we take for granted. Encourage your uncle - encourage him to take control - to read, research, and find the paths that feel right to him - encourage him to trust his inner feelings and intuition, to listen to his body - to find quiet time to really listen. It's a tough battle, support him through it - it really helps to know others care.
Keep in touch - good luck and thanks again.
My email address is charth@bellsouth.net.
Contact me any time.
Father Who Died 15 Years Ago of MM: "Never Give Up!" - Astoria, Oregon
October 30, 1997
My father, Stanford E. Grimberg died 15 years ago of mesothelioma. He was a union plumber for his adult life. I currently run the plumbing business my father started. My mother gets monthly checks from state accident insurance. She has received very rare checks for small amounts of money from some class action lawyers in Washington D.C.
I found your web site to be incredibly informative, and would have found it most helpful when I was going through the stress of my fathers death. Because of his early death @ age 53, we were left to run the business without him. His death caused great economic hardship, let alone the emotional toll.
I have been advised to get chest x rays as a baseline every other year as I have been exposed, because Dad used to come home covered in asbestos, and I would help him brush off the stuff outside. His clothing was of course washed with ours. I am 38 years old, currently healthy, and a single mother of two daughters. My mother who is 69 still works in the family plumbing business with me and has been exposed as well, although she is healthy at this time.
Thank you for providing this kind of support to families facing this. Fifteen years ago there was no such thing.
Sincerely, Ann Grimberg, Astoria Plumbing & Tile Inc.
P.S. Is there some way I could be helpful in contacting legislators or speaking up for those that are victims? My dad always taught me to never give up, just keep plugging away. I'd like to help in some way, but this problem seems so big I don't know where to begin.
Thanks for Website - Pennsylvania
October 27, 1997
The following is a note from the son of a Pennsylvania carpenter who died at the age of 52 from malignant mesothelioma.
Several months ago you helped me get in touch with someone that could possibly help my father. My father died on September 17, 1997 of malignant peritoneal mesothelioma after Dr. Valerie Rusch successfully removed the disease from his chest by removing one of his lungs in November of 1996, the disease then spread to his peritoneal cavity. We are trying to get on with our lives now. We are working on a lawsuit to make the asbestos companies pay for what they have done to us. I want to be able to sit in a court room and see these asbestos companies pay for what they have done. I believe a jury, when they see the evidence, will punish the asbestos companies by hitting them where it hurts, in the pocketbook. They took my dad's life. All we can do is take their money. We hope the jury will send a message.
I also would like to thank you for all of the help your website has provided my family. Your website probably was partially responsible for giving my father a few more months of life. I read about Dr. Taub on your site and emailed him putting him in touch with my father's local doctors. They discussed dad's condition and began treating my father with a chemo belly wash which reduced the fluid build-up in his peritoneal cavity. The chemo also seemed to halt the spread of the disease for a while. We are not sure why dad died so quickly, he seemed to be improving very slowly, he was a fighter and never showed a lot of pain.
Again thank you for a valuable resource. Hopefully some day your website will be helping to save lives, not just prolonging them.
John Mongold and family
Message to Dr. Taub: Please Improve Bedside Manner - Yonkers, New York
November 1, 1997
Hi Roger,
My father just died 2 months ago from peritoneal mesothelioma. He died in Columbia Presbyterian Hospital in New York City. Unfortunately, surgery was not an option for him. Instead, they tried interferon gamma, which did nothing at all, and perhaps, in my estimation, along with the excessive draining of fluid, actually added to his demise. When I told Dr. Taub of my father's delusional thinking after each interferon treatment, he said he never heard of this before. I have recently found out that it is indeed one of the side effects. I hope Dr. Taub and his staff can help mesothelioma patients, but I must say I was a bit unimpressed with the whole show. Dr. Taub has absolutely no bedside manner, which I feel is critical to a patient's recovery. My family didn't even receive condolences from Dr. Taub. Unfortunate.
I'm not trying to dissuade anyone from seeking help at CPMC. Dr. Taub's program does seem to be one of the more hopeful treatments available, particularly if the disease is caught early. I don't blame Dr. Taub for my fathers death, for he did make it clear that interferon gamma was a long shot, but he was just too evasive for my liking.
Just previous to going to Dr. Taub, my father was being treated by a Dr. Robert Atkins in NYC. You may know him for his "Atkins Diet." He is using something called "Ukrain", which is a non-toxic form of chemotherapy. Unfortunately, my father became too weak to travel to Dr. Atkins' office, so he could no longer continue treatment, and he was not going there long enough for me to notice if it was doing any good. I did meet several people, though, with various forms of cancer, that swore by Ukrain. Again, I don't know if it would have worked against mesothelioma, but perhaps its something you might be interested in researching. Dr. Taub suggested that I was hurting my father by bringing him to Dr. Atkins, and that Dr. Atkins' treatment was not ethical. Well, I bit my tongue because I didn't want to jeopardize my father's chances of being accepted for treatment at CPMC. It is so sad that so many traditional doctors won't keep an open mind when it comes to alternative medicine. I know there are many snake oil salesman out there, but I truly feel there are many legitimate alternative physicians as well.
And who suffers for this lack of communication between traditional and alternative medicine? The patient, of course. I just wish more people could see this and perhaps make their voices heard.
My father is now dead, but I would love to help others that are going through what my family and my father went through. Please feel free to give my e-mail address to anyone interested, even if its just to talk.
Perhaps I will see you at the trial in November. It would be nice to shake your hand. I think you are doing a great service with this web page. Keep up the good work! It's obviously something you don't have to do, but choose to do to help so many people. God bless you.
RM
Stackster@aol.com
Caveat Emptor in Libby - Libby, Montana
October 29, 1997
In reading your "Punches Corner" article, I noticed that you were responsible for the screening of Union Employees.
Recently, a law firm from Florida came to Montana offering free screening. There were three or four screening sights set up and union members were offered free screening only if they met a certain criteria. Their exposure had to be prior to 1974, they had to be at least 45 years of age and should have worked in areas designated on a map.
A little about my history. Both of my parents died of asbestosis as have many of my friends. Every day, I see more and more diagnosed of secondary exposure.
I have spent the last 25 years (since my father was diagnosed) campaigning for the rights of victims exposed and diagnosed. In 25 years, we have come a long way, but not nearly far enough.
I was here in Libby in the 80's when the Gidley decision opened the doors for litigation. There were attorneys on every street corner it seemed.
My mother was diagnosed at that time and received what we thought was a reasonable settlement from WRG. Now I find that hardly anyone even glanced at her medical records. Grace had known, I'm sure from the time that the medical staff diagnosed her. The problem? Mother wasn't notified for 5 years that she had classic asbestosis. When she accepted her settlement, she was under the impression that her disease had only been recently discovered. Little did we know that the clock had been ticking for some time.
I watched friends and relatives get thrown into class action suits. I saw the results. They are all dead now. They died bitter.
My husband was a Union Representative during the construction of Libby Dam. I was the dispatcher/secretary. Our name is synonymous with Union.
When the letter arrived for "free screening" it threw up all sorts of red flags to me. I started contacting Unions state wide to warn their membership that there was a strong possibility that this had the making of a class action suit and someone was looking for easy money.
Our members in Montana could have signed their rights away for future litigation for a few dollars. That would have left the Union insurances and Medicare to pick up the tab. Right now, the estimated cost that is used in court cases for the last 5 years of life with asbestosis is $500,000.00. These figures were compiled by my mother's and another good friend's medical records, both who died withing the last year.
I am totally in favor of notifying members of the possibility of exposure. In fact, I recently had the local Union send out a warning to try to locate approximately 10 members that I had dispatched in 1971 to a construction project at the base of the Zonolite mine here in Libby.
The problem is that unless a man worked at W.R.Grace, they don't feel as though the respiratory problems they be experiencing could be caused by exposure to asbestos. Little do they know how much exposure they endured just working a "turn around" at one of the larger sawmills in this state.
These men deserve their individual day in court, be it with a local attorney or an out of state attorney. No class action suits please.
Not only do these men need to be warned of the dangers, they need to be informed of their rights.
Right now, Libby is a hot bed for asbestos litigation with 20 cases waiting to go to court and more people being diagnosed every day. the laws need to be changed to allow the men and women to file suit upon diagnosis, not wait for a certain criteria to be reached. At that point they are too ill to withstand a lengthy court battle and settle out of court for a lesser amount.
Sorry that this is so long, but after reading your page, I just had to "vent" a little. I spend every day researching exactly what one mine has done to our community. When I come across something that I feel might lessen the rights of those diagnosed, I have to speak out. I live by "EDUCATE, MEDICATE, AND LITIGATE" and sometimes not necessarily in that order. I have seen too many people be taken advantage of right here.
Keep up the good work. Reach out to as many people as you can. Try to educate them of their rights. If I can be of any assistance to you, please contact me.
Gayla Benefield
"Faceless, heartless, sociopathic monsters" - New Jersey
September, 1997
I just discovered your website this evening, and will be checking it often. My father was a long-time employee of Ruberoid/GAF in South Bound Brook, New Jersey. He died of asbestosis in 1985. My mother, who never set foot in the plant, died of lung cancer/asbestosis this past January. So, we're headed back to Court on her. None of this will bring either one of them back, of course, but we (my brother, sister and I) are so angry and don't know what else to do. Speaking as someone who has watched this hideous disease slowly and painfully take both parents, I encourage you to continue the battle against these faceless, heartless, sociopathic monsters.
It's interesting to note that just a few years ago, GAF fought to have the tiny township of South Bound Brook contribute financially to the clean-up of the Raritan River, on which the plant sits, instead of bearing the costs itself. GAF tried to justify this by reminding the city council how the plant contributed to the economy all those years by employing so many individuals. Of course, GAF neglected to mention it killed many of them in the process...
Asbestos Located in an Automobile Repair Shop - New York
August 5, 1997
Sirs:
I ran across your asbestos page on the net, and it raised a few questions. My father owned and operated a small body shop, Van's Garage, in Rochester N.Y. In 1966 we began repairing Chevrolet Corvettes, using fiber glass mat, cloth, resin, and a glue composed of equal parts of asbestos, mill fibers, and fiberglass resin. We would grind this smooth daily, exposing ourselves to large amounts of airborne dust. Alot of dust. I left the business in 1978, and he retired in 1985. In 1990 he died from mesothelioma, six months after onset. He had been a pack a day smoker, but quit in 1965. I thought he died from lung cancer, but recently have found that mesothelioma is lung cancer caused by asbestos. I have had yearly chest xrays, which as yet are normal. I have followed the asbestos issue somewhat over the years, but do not know the current situation, nor the state of legal recourse regarding his death. I would appreciate any insight you could provide.
Thank You,
Blake Van Thof
Hope for Peritoneal Mesotheliotics! - Baltimore, Maryland
April 4, 1997
Hi!
Please let people know that there is always hope with peritoneal mesothelioma. I was diagnosed in January of 1990. After 3 major operations and 6months of chemo I was told there was nothing more to be done. I would live at a year at best. That was 6 years ago and no other treatment. I still continue to see my oncologist (Dr. William Waterfield) at St. Agnes Hospital in Baltimore Md. once a year. My last operation was at N.I.H. where they attempted to try P.D.T. When they opended me up for the third time in 11 months the cancer spread to far for them to continue. My doctors were Dr. Sindlar and Dr. Tom Delaney. That was the last time I was treated. I am in great shape and have never felt better. My remission continues. I am glad that I didn't just roll over and die after being told of my outcome.
Thanks for you time
Beth (Callahan) O'Connell
"Only fifteen months and he was gone." - Ohio
September 16, 1997
My husband died June 28, 1994. He was 58, two weeks before retirement he found out he had Mesothelioma. They gave him 18 months to live...it was only 15 months and he was gone. He worked in a chemical plant as a repairman. He was always tearing apart something and repairing it. Needless to say, he came in contact with asbestos. It has been three years and the loneliness has never left. Nice of the business world to care so little about its' employees. Thanks for letting me know there are others out there. It is nice to know you are not alone.
Pat Holler
Mom Died so Building Owner Could Save a Buck - Johnston, Rhode Island
June, 1997
Hi..
My mom just recently died from this terrible disease. What we went through was horrible. I only can hope that they can find a cure so others will not have to encounter such.
Good Luck
Melissa Orsinelli
Johnston, RI
P. S. Mom was exposed while working in an old mill that was being revenerated. My Dad rented space in the mill for his business. When they were tearing down the wall and ceilings they "disturbed" the asbestos and made it active. What upsets me is that they did this during working hours when people were in the building. Then they did it themselves, just to save a buck. I dont mean to sound bitter.... but I loved my Mom. Since she died, it hasn't been the same.