An 81-year-old woman diagnosed with mesothelioma is currently seeking information if her illness may have been possible that she encountered asbestos while washing her husband's clothes decades back.
A report from The Northern Echo said Joan Marie Smith instructed lawyers to investigate how her illness arose.
Joan, a mother of two and grandmother of six, does not believe she had been exposed to asbestos while working as a shop assistant and packer. Attention has now turned to her late husband Ron's work, who died in 2000 at age 66. The latter worked
most of his career at ICI Billingham from 1948 to 1991.
Ron began working for the company straight from school. He was primarily based in the oil works in the area, although he spent time at the chemical works.
Their Work Linked to the Illness
According to the woman, her husband talked about how he started his career as a messenger boy, and then, went into an apprenticeship. As such, continued Joan, Ron was classed as an "instrument artificer" and designed, assembled, installed, maintained, and fixed instruments.
At one point, her husband moved into a more office-based job, although he still had to go into the manufacturing plant every day.
The couple met during the late 1950s and moved in together in 1962 after they got married. At that point, the husband would go to work in his own clothes and would come home messy with dust.
The wife, for her part, was responsible for the laundry, and thus, she handled everything and, at times, would shake or wipe clothes to clear excess dirt and dust.
She explained, she never went to ICI Billingham. However, she is aware of people who have had asbestos-related diseases from working there.
Mesothelioma
Referring to Ron's illness, Joan said nothing prepares one "for the news you have cancer." It was difficult enough, she shared, trying to get her head around the news. However, the more she looked into mesothelioma, described in a Mesothelioma Blog article as a tumor developing in the "lining of the lungs" due to overexposure to asbestos fibers, the more shocked she was to discover that in most circumstances, it is associated with to industrial backgrounds.
Before she was diagnosed with cancer, she had never even known o mesothelioma, although now, she knows how bad it is.
She's trying and staying positive. However, she finds she's becoming less independent and more reliant on other people.
Nothing can make up for what has occurred. Joan calls out anyone who used to work with her husband at the plant around the same period to come forward with information. She would be grateful if they did, adding that she deserved answers about the illness.
Contact with Asbestos
Lawyer Emma Bell, from Irwin Mithell, who represents Joan, said contact with asbestos is typically associated with industrial environments. However, many cases have been seen through the years where people have been exposed to the material by washing clothes. It is something believed to have taken place in Joan's case.
While regrettably, medical professionals cannot do much for Joan when it comes to treating her cancer, they are determined to provide her with the answers she deserves.
Understandably, the wife is desperate to discover what caused her illness, so any information from those working at the ICI plant could prove essential. The case of Joan is yet another stark reminder of the risks of asbestos.
Related information about Mesothelioma is shown on Medical Centric's YouTube video below:
Check out more news and information on Cancer in Science Times.
