Posted on May 22, 2015
Linda, Emily, Tilly, and Alan Reinstein (2004)
On May 22, 2006, Emily and I held Alan’s hands as he took his last breath. Mesothelioma won over his body, but not over his mind, heart, or soul.
Trust me, I always write that sharing makes us stronger – but when we talk about the life and death of our loved one – the pain is always intense.
It’s always bittersweet when I look back on the day I first heard the word mesothelioma by Alan’s surgeon. Five years ago I wrote, “I’ll Do Anything to Fight Mesothelioma to Have More Time with My Family, Anything” – Alan Reinstein’s Story.
When I began writing this morning, found a two-part series done by our local paper, The Easy Reader: Death by Breath, Part I and Death by Breath, Part II.
There is no rewind button in life, so Emily and I have learned to forge ahead, cherish our treasured memories of Alan, and continue our work to help end this man-made asbestos disaster. Asbestos remains legal and lethal in the USA even after more than 100 years of knowledge that asbestos caused deadly diseases.
Please join us in a day of remembrance, hope, and solidarity as we light a candle in honor of Alan and the millions of other ‘Alans’ who have suffered or have died from preventable asbestos-caused diseases.
In unity,
Linda