FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 27, 2011
Courageous Young Mother Battles Mesothelioma; Advocates for Total Ban on Asbestos Use
Julie Gundlach of St. Louis, MO., to Receive the ADAO 2011 Alan Reinstein Award
REDONDO BEACH, CA. – January 27, 2011…On April 1 – 3, people from across the globe will gather for the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization’s (ADAO) 7th Annual International Asbestos Awareness Conference, Asbestos: Impact on Public Heath, Environment, and the Economy, at the Atlanta Marriott Buckhead Hotel & Conference Center, Atlanta, Georgia. Among the guests will be physicians, scientists, occupational health and safety professionals, public health advocates, families and survivors of asbestos-related diseases.
One of those survivors is Julie Gundlach, age 39, of St. Louis, MO. She will be honored by ADAO with The Alan Reinstein Award for her courageous commitment to educate, advocate for, and support patients and families impacted by asbestos-related diseases. The award is named after Alan Reinstein, the late husband of Linda Reinstein, CEO and co-founder of ADAO, who died of mesothelioma. Reinstein served as president and co-founder of ADAO, an independent global organization, dedicated to preventing asbestos-related diseases through education, advocacy, and community.
Gundlach was a young mother of 35 when doctors handed her a diagnosis of mesothelioma – a rare and often-fatal asbestos-related disease. The year was 2006. Her daughter was just three years old.
Gundlach had just come through surgery to remove a tumor the size of a small cantaloupe from her pelvic area, which included a complete hysterectomy – procedures performed following what was thought to be ovarian cancer. However, doctors told her she had something quite different – mesothelioma. They told her to get in touch with an oncologist.
“It was made clear that the treatment was to prolong my prognosis – not to cure me,” said Julie Gundlach. “I was told to see a lawyer and to get my affairs ‘in order.’ There is nothing so devastating as to be told to put your affairs in order. While my doctors didn’t say, ‘You will die,’ the implication was clear. “More than anything, I want to live,” she said. “And even though some days it feels impossible to live, laugh and love as fully as I am able to, I will never give up hoping for a cure.”
One way she is transforming fear into courage is by getting the word out about the dangers of asbestos exposure and that it can affect anyone. At a recent Earth Day event in her hometown, she gathered 1,000 signatures from attendees to present to Washington politicians to demand that they force manufacturing companies to stop using asbestos in their products. Gundlach’s three wishes are to save her own life so that she can be there for her children, Madeline and Dan; for a cure to save everyone from the horrific disease of mesothelioma; and for a complete ban on asbestos.
Gundlach will share her message with those attending the 2011 International Asbestos Awareness Conference, April 1 – 3. The ADAO conference is made possible with the support and collaborative efforts of the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute in Detroit, Michigan. View Julie Gundlach’s complete story or for more information about the ADAO conference go to www.adao.us.
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About Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO)
Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO) was founded by asbestos victims and their families in 2004. ADAO seeks to give asbestos victims and concerned citizens a united voice to raise public awareness about the dangers of asbestos exposure. ADAO is an independent global organization dedicated to preventing asbestos-related diseases through education, advocacy and community. ADAO’s mission includes supporting global advocacy and advancing asbestos awareness, prevention, early detection, treatment, and resources for asbestos-related disease. For more information visit www.asbestosdiseaseawareness.org.
About the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute
Located in mid-town Detroit, Michigan, the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute is one of 40 National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer centers in the United States. Caring for nearly 6,000 new patients annually on a budget of $216 million, conducting more than 700 cancer-specific scientific investigation programs and clinical trials, Karmanos is among the nation’s best cancer centers. Through the commitment of 1,000 staff, including nearly 300 physicians and researchers on faculty at the Wayne State University School of Medicine, and supported by thousands of volunteer and financial donors, Karmanos strives to prevent, detect and eradicate all forms of cancer. Its long-term partnership with the WSU School of Medicine enhances the collaboration of critical research and academics related to cancer care. Karmanos is southeastern Michigan’s most preferred hospital for cancer care according to annual surveys conducted by the National Research Corporation. Gerold Bepler, M.D., Ph.D., is the Institute’s president and chief executive officer. For more information call 1-800-KARMANOS or go to www.karmanos.org.
Media Contacts:
Doug Larkin
Director of Communications
Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO)
(202) 391-1546
doug@asbestosdiseaseawareness.org
Patricia A. Ellis
Media Relations Manager
Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute
(313) 576-8629
ellisp@karmanos.org