Posted on September 19, 2014
As we begin a week of activities in honor of National Mesothelioma Awareness Day on September 26th, I would like to take a moment to reflect on the courageous Mesothelioma Warriors around the world and their stories.
Since ADAO was founded, nearly 100 patients and families have shared their stories with us. Today we are publishing everyone’s stories and next month we will go back to again feature individual stories. Through our collective voices and common bonds, we join together to fight to end one of the largest man-made disasters.
In 2010, Heather Von St. James was the first woman to share her story, “The Value of My Life in Dollars and Tears,” with ADAO. As Heather wrote, “I’ve been fortunate enough to have amazing people in my life who have the same passion that I do – to ban asbestos and find a cure. Through our pain, we share a common desire to make a difference that runs in our blood. I’m happy to join together with Linda and the ADAO , to not only bring about awareness to a preventable disease, but make a difference in people’s lives.”
These aren’t just stories – they fuel our work and serve as impactful examples of the human cost of asbestos. For example, we were honored to share 70 individual stories with members of Congress during our 6th Congressional Staff Briefing in July. Your stories help lawmakers understand asbestos diseases on a human level, hopefully leading them to pass beneficial legislation. Please take a moment to read the inspiring stories in our Share Your Story collection below.
As this week of awareness begins, we encourage you to take part in the numerous events that are happening throughout the United States. But even if you cannot attend an event, you can Share Meso Warriors’ Stories with your social networks or Share Your Own Story with ADAO. Asbestos awareness is not restricted to just a day on the calendar. Thanks to you, ADAO will continue to raise awareness about these preventable asbestos-related diseases every day until there is a global ban and a cure.
In unity and with great gratitude to patients and families around the world,
Linda Reinstein
- “More Research is Needed Desperately” – Reg’s Story
- “Pain from Something Every Day” – Marlyn’s Story
- “I Was Given a Second Chance for the Purpose of Helping Others Through this Horrible Unnecessary Cancer” – Tina’s Story
- “My Heart will Forever Feel a Pain that Can Never be Replaced” – Calvin’s Story
- “Ensuring Future Generations Are No Longer Ignorant About Asbestos” – John’s Story
- “Rob Fought Courageously Till The End” – Robbie’s Story
- “Asbestos Is a Hidden Evil” – Joseph’s Story
- “So Many Dead Just for Others Greed” – Paolo’s Story
- “Asbestos is Not Only Bad for You, It Kills You!” – Smoe’s Story
- “Our Lives Will Never Be The Same” – Rudy’s Story
- “Baby I’m Going To Die” – Glen’s Story
- “Only 19 Years Old When He Was Exposed” – John’s Story
- “Her Death Reduced My Life to Rubble” – Paola’s Story
- “Our Hearts Torn Out” – Joseph’s Story
- “A Story No One Should Ever Have to Tell” – Selina’s Story
- “Our Father Was Our World” – Jose’s Story
- “What You Don’t Know Can Kill You” – Michael’s Story
- “My Daughter Will Not Get to Know Her Grandfather”– Kenneth’s Story
- “He Left Us Far too Early” – William’s Story
- “I’m Fortunate To Still Be Alive” – Lenny’s Story
- “Being a Meso Warrior Takes a Lot of Faith and Hope” – Jill’s Story
- “Fighting Every Minute of Every Day” – Karen’s Story
- “Mesothelioma Does Not Discriminate” – Heather’s Story
- “Our Unending Grief” – Todd’s Story
- “Courage and Strength” – Donald’s Story
- “Mesothelioma Shook Us to the Core” – Don’s Story
- “Giving Everything and Never Giving Up” – Dan’s Story
- “Not Ready Yet” – Troi’s Story
- “One in a Million” – Bernie’s Story
- “Life Can Change So Fast” – Barry’s Story
- “The Devastating Consequences of Asbestos” – Tony’s Story
- “Finding Hope with Mesothelioma” – David’s Story
- “A Man of Unmatchable Character” – Ralph’s Story
- “Handed a Death Sentence” – Randy’s Story
- “Robbed of His Dignity” – Keith’s Story
- “Asbestos Destroyed Our Lives” – Ken’s Story
- “Living with Emptiness” – Robert’s Story
- “Strength and Honor” – Dave’s Story
- “A Family Devastated by Asbestos Exposure” – Blayne’s Story
- “Living the Nightmare of Mesothelioma” – John’s Story
- “Outliving the Unlivable” – Rachel’s Story
- “Mesothelioma Stole My Second Chance” – Ellen’s Story
- “Changed Lives” – Cathy’s Story
- “Eighteen Months to Live” – Midge’s Story
- “I Just Want to See My Children Grow Up” – John’s Story
- “It Won’t Stop Until They Are Jailed for Murder” – Jean’s Story
- “Constant Pain – Jesse’s Story
- “A Hole in Many Lives” – Bob’s Story
- “Keeping His Memory Alive” – Carl’s Story
- “Our Journey with Mesothelioma” – Chip’s Story
- “Asbestos Has Changed My Life” – Michael’s Story
- “I Thought I Was Going to Die” – Polly’s Story
- “I Will Never Be the Same Again” – Janelle’s Story
- “Fighting This Disease with Everything He Has” – Roland’s Story
- “Information is Empowering” – Randy’s Story
- “Praying for an Asbestos Ban” – William’s Story
- “Mesothelioma Robbed Us” – Joe’s Story
- “Staying Positive” – Mike’s Story
- “Our Family’s Rock” – George’s Story
- “9 Months to Live” – Jim’s Story
- “We Will Love You Eternally” – Darryl’s Story
- “Wanting to Fight It” – George’s Story
- “Trying to Make a Living” – Rebecca’s Story
- “The King of Cool” – Steve McQueen’s Story
- Jorge’s Story (Brazilian Asbestos Worker)
- “In the Midst of the Storm…A Rainbow Shines” – Richard’s Story
- “Images of the Asbestos Ghost” – Jan’s Story
- “Doing Something Positive” – Steve’s Story
- “Reflection of a Life Lost” – George’s Story
- “Full of Impotent Rage” – Jo’s Story
- “Turned Away” – Julius’ Story
- “A Life Cut Short” – Moe’s Story
- “Misdiagnosed” – Gene’s Story
- “10 Year Survivor” – Bonnie’s Story
- “Four Generations” – Laura’s Story
- “A Heart of God” – Elizabeth’s Story
- “If I Should Fall Behind” – Charles’ Story
- “He Has a Place in Heaven” – Russell’s Story
- “Asbestos has literally flipped my world upside down” – Larry’s Story
- “A Father’s Legacy” – Wolfgang’s Story
- “Unsuspecting Heroine” – Doreen’s Story
- “Rudy Doesn’t Live Here Anymore…” – Rudy’s Story
- “Fighting to Honour the Life of a Wonderful Father” – Gary’s Story
- “My Life Battling Mesothelioma” – Jan’s Story
- “I’ll Do Anything to Fight Mesothelioma to Have More Time with My Family, Anything” – Alan Reinstein’s Story
- “It’s Too Soon” – Michael’s Story
- “Robbed of Many More Years” – William’s Story
- “My Life Has Changed 100%” – Janine’s Story
- “Breathtaking” – Richard’s Story
- “I Will Not Die in Vain” – Louise’s Story
- “Women and Mesothelioma” – Anita’s Story
- “An Expectation of Justice” – Stan’s Story
- “A Deadly Workplace” – Subrayan & Murgesan’s Stories
- “The Power of Public Health Advocacy: A Patient’s Perspective” – Julie’s Story
- “Social Media and Mesothelioma” – Mavis’ Story
- “India Through My Eyes” – Ravindra’s Story
- “Ambler: The Town That Asbestos Built” – Joe’s Story
- “With Love Comes Hope” – Lonna’s Story
- “Dust into Gold: Banning Asbestos is Good Business” – Paul’s Story
- “Mesothelioma and Me” – Debbie’s Story
- “The Value of My Life in Dollars and Tears” – Heather’s Story