In Loving Memory; Losing a Loved One to Asbestos Related Diseases

    /24-7PressRelease/ - September 20, 2008 - When my father was diagnosed with asbestosis, no one in my family had even heard of the disease. What was it? How did he get it? And what did the prognosis mean for my father and our family? The answers to these questions unfolded in a series of blurred events that eventually lead to my father's death in 1996. I still long for the relationship I lost to this disease.

What are asbestosis and mesothelioma?

Both asbestosis and mesothelioma are lung diseases caused by asbestos. Asbestos fibers scar the lung tissue making them more susceptible to lung diseases such as pneumonia. They also decrease the lungs' ability to supply oxygen to the heart increasing the risk of developing heart problems.

How are asbestosis and mesothelioma contracted?

Asbestos is a flame retardant, pliable yet strong mineral used in products such as vinyl floor tiles, caulk, adhesives, stage curtains, fire blankets, and insulation. Although once considered a miracle mineral, it is now known to be highly toxic. Inhaling asbestos fibers can cause mesothelioma and asbestosis. These fibers may exist at work, in your environment, or on the clothes of a loved one who works with asbestos.

What does a prognosis of asbestos related diseases mean for you and your family?

My dad was always active, which helped slow the progression of the disease. Even when he had to use oxygen, he strapped the tank to his back and went for a bike ride several times a week.

Unfortunately, he worked for the steel plants, where he contracted the disease, along with all of his friends. He and my mom watched as each of their friends struggled with the insidious nature of this disease. He watched them struggle for breath. He watched them suffer from heart failure. He watched them die slow, agonizing deaths knowing this was his fate too.

• My dad loved the snow, but he could no longer shovel or clean off the car.
• My dad loved racquet ball, but he could no longer run.
• My dad loved to swim, but he could no longer dive.
• My dad loved to laugh and had one of the hardiest laughs on the planet, but he could no longer laugh.
• All of these things require the breath only healthy lungs can deliver. My dad no longer had healthy lungs.

When he died, not only was my mom distraught, devastated, and exhausted from caring for him, she was also in a financial dilemma. How would she support herself when my dad had been the provider?

Many law suits have developed as a result of asbestos related diseases. I am so grateful for the wonderful attorneys that helped my mom sort through the legalities of this national injustice.

If you or your loved one have been diagnosed with an asbestos related disease and you live in the Baltimore or D.C. area, please contact the law office of Matt Kiely. He will hold the responsible parties accountable for the debt they owe and get you the justice you deserve.

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