So, if I said 'mesothelioma', what does that mean to you? Personally, until Heather Von St. James got in touch with me, I have never heard of it before. I feel awfully ignorant which is exactly why I delved into finding out more about these disease.
Back in 2005, only three months after giving birth to her daughter, Lily Rose, Heather was diagnosed with pleural mesothelioma. As a nine-year mesothelioma cancer survivor, she has made it her mission to help other victims and raise awareness around the world!
But what is mesothelioma? Well, simply put, it's an aggressive cancer that affects the membrane lining of the lungs and abdomen, and exposure to asbestos is the primary cause. Incidences of mesothelioma is, thankfully, quite rare, but there's still approx 3,000 diagnoses every year in the US, and roughly 2,500 in the UK.
With Mesothelioma Awareness Day taking place on Saturday, 26th September, it's the perfect time to learn more, and help raise awareness on this preventable disease. You can also get involved over on Twitter by following the #MesoAwarenessDay hashtag at 1pm (EST) / 6pm (UK).
* Thank you to Heather for getting in touch with me. It's been amazing to learn more about you, and of course, all about mesothelioma. All information/stats provided by Heather, Mesothelioma.com and Mesothelioma.uk.com
I was not paid or compensated for this blog post.*
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