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 share the courageous story of Wolfgang.

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.

WOLFGANG’S STORY

(Shared by his daughter)

Name: Wolfgang

Country: Canada

Date of 1st Symptoms: APR-2007

Date of Diagnosis: 12-DEC-2005

Diagnosis: Asbestosis and mesothelioma

Treatment: Chemotherapy

1927 – 2007

How has Asbestos changed your life? (unedited):

My father worked at an asbestos factory in Toronto. Johns Manville produced pipes and insulation from Quebec mined chrysotile. His job was to load the hopper with the raw material. He worked at the factory for 25 years and even got a watch in the end. He also got asbestosis, pleural plaque and eventually lung cancer. His body was lined in asbestos. Once an athlete, his vital lung capacity diminished to 25 percent. But the asbestos also affected the lining of his heart. That didn\’t stop him from loving though. As his heart surgeon said, \”He might only have a third of a heart, but that one third beats harder and better than a lot of people with a whole heart.\”  I love you and miss you Dad. I miss you so much!

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