Posted in February 2012

We have been touched by asbestos in individual ways, yet we are joined together by a common bond of community. As a testament to the strength of our global family, Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO) is highlighting the courageous stories of our members with the new “Share Your Story” feature on our website.

This week, we would like to honor the story of Elizabeth (“Betty”) as told through her daughter, Kathy, who is a part of our ADAO family.

We encourage you to submit your personal stories by clicking here and following the simple instructions on the page. In sharing, comes healing. Remember, you are not alone.

 Elizabeth’s Story

(shared by her daughter, Kathy)

Name: Elizabeth (“Betty”)

State: Louisiana

Date of 1st Symptoms: JUL-2008

Date of Diagnosis: Autopsy confirmed

Diagnosis: Pleural Mesothelioma

Treatment: Chemo

1934 – 2008

How has Asbestos changed your life? (unedited)

Immeasurably. Although this story is about my mom, I also lost my brother to the same disease a year later. I had 2 brothers and 3 sisters, very close and loving. When mom got sick, I took a leave of absence and moved in with her to spend every minute possible with her. She was my best friend, mentor, travel companion, and guidance counselor. She was everything to me and my daughter, I spent a lot of time with her already, but when she got sick, I didn’t want to lose a single minute. But as I felt, my other brothers and sisters felt exactly the same way, they also took leaves from work to do the same. She was our greatest teacher of life. She didn’t grow up with good circumstances, and was rejected by her mother, married my dad of 35 years until he passed of an accident, and had 5 children. I have never known a greater person. She had a heart of God and wasn’t afraid to share it, and passed these morals down to me. I do know she is in heaven. My brother Bruce experienced the slow agonizing death of mom, only to find out through a healthy checkup he had the disease too.  He knew what he was going to be in store for…

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