With asbestos lurking in an estimated one-third of Australian homes, campaigners want compulsory registers of the deadly product for home owners in an effort to save the lives of unsuspecting renovators.
Mark Drage is speaking out to warn people about carrying out renovations on old homes after losing his wife, Kathleen, to mesothelioma.
Mark Drage says his wife Kathleen was exposed to asbestos fibres whilst renovating a house in Guilderton, north of Perth."She climbed onto a very old asbestos roof and ended up with the fibres all over her clothing," Mark recalls.They didn't think much more about the incident until about 20 years later, when Kathleen was diagnosed with the aggressive asbestos cancer mesothelioma, picked up after a routine pap smear.
On the other side of the country, another family is trying to cope with a similar devastating diagnosis, except in this case, the patient is only 18. Instead of doing what other teenagers would be doing – getting their best grades, finishing school and enjoying their youth – Jarni's been undergoing intense treatments including chemotherapy – with the impact so severe she couldn't walk and had to be in a wheelchair.Her mother Jessie said Jarni's exposure to asbestos is still "under investigation". She's close to tears when she talks about the normalising of asbestos in the community.
He's worried about the growing incidence of "non-occupational" exposure to asbestos across the country.
Wa News Asbestos Removal Mesothelioma Home Renovation Asbestos Diy Cancer
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