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

This week, we would like to honor the story of Mark, as shared by his daughter, Kara.

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. 

Mesothelioma didn’t just take my dad — it stole his strength, his retirement, his dreams – Mark’s Story

Name: Mark

Location: Alaska

Diagnosis: Mesothelioma

Date of Diagnosis: 13-JAN-2024

Treatment: Immunotherapy, Pleurodesis, Paliative Chemotherapy

Year of Birth: 1959

How has asbestos changed your life? (Unedited):

My father, Mark, died on October 21, 2024 — just ten months after being diagnosed with stage IV pleural mesothelioma. He was 66. A farmer. A rural mail carrier. A husband, father, grandfather. A quiet man who worked with his hands and loved the land.

One of his dreams was to explore our national parks. We made it to Yellowstone once — a trip he cherished — but it became a goodbye, not a beginning.

He spent decades fixing tractors, often unaware that the very tools he trusted contained asbestos — in brake linings, gaskets, insulation. We had no idea. By the time he was diagnosed, we were told he had maybe a year.

I’m a nurse. I’ve seen illness, but nothing prepares you to watch your own parent lose the ability to breathe, walk, speak. Mesothelioma didn’t just take my dad — it stole his strength, his retirement, his dreams. He never got to visit me in Alaska or hike another trail with his granddaughter, who still talks about him every day.

Farmers like my dad are often left out of the asbestos conversation. But they’re at risk too. Asbestos is still present in barns, equipment, homes, and it remains legal in parts of the U.S. until 2024 — the year he died.

We need awareness. We need earlier detection, better resources, and more visibility for families like mine. Mesothelioma is not just an old industrial disease. It’s a living, ongoing threat. One that claimed my father — a kind, humble man who should still be here.

I share his story to honor him, and to speak for those who can’t. Because no one should die just because they fixed their own tractor.

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