A few weeks ago, I was approached by the Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance about their national awareness campaign. I learned that every year around 3,000 people are diagnosed with mesothelioma, a deadly cancer caused by exposure to asbestos. On average, they are given 10 months to live. That’s a mere 300 days. And yet, according to the MCA, asbestos is “still widely used in the U.S. It affects our water, air, and soil quality, as it does not break down or biodegrade.” The MCA works to spread awareness because mesothelioma is caused by asbestos exposure, so knowing more about asbestos and its risk factors can make a huge difference in preventing this cancer.
April 1-7 is Asbestos Awareness Week, so I wanted to share some facts that I was given by the Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance:
Scary stuff! This definitely has motivated me to investigate my own surroundings and products to make sure that asbestos is not present.
I was also touched by this inspiring blog post on the Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance Blog about Sara Gapasin, the Advocate of the Month for April:
http://www.mesothelioma.com/blog/authors/warrior/advocate-of-the-month-april-2014.htm
You can learn more about mesothelioma and asbestos at the Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance website:
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