MesotheliomaWeb.Org: British Woman Skydives to Raise Mesothelioma Awareness
MesotheliomaWeb.Org is a respected reference source for patients and their families who are coping with mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is a form of cancer that attacks the cells in the pleural mesothelium, a section of tissue surrounding the lungs. MesotheliomaWeb.Org supplies visitors with the most current news on research projects, treatment processes, and other reports on this deadly disease. The mission of the site is to raise awareness about the causes and effects of the disease, as well as attempts to treat and cure patients.
A British university student took part in a charity skydiving event in honor of her ill father. Charlotte Newcombe, a twenty-year-old student at Birmingham University, participated in the event to raise money for the charities Mesothelioma UK and Asbestos Support West Midlands. Her father, Robert Newcombe, underwent a biopsy after doctors discovered fluid buildup in his lungs. Doctors later diagnosed Mr. Newcombe with mesothelioma after reviewing the biopsy results.
Ms. Newcombe, a nursing student, attempted the dive with an instructor in an effort to raise money and awareness about the increasing incidence of mesothelioma and other asbestos diseases in the country. Many national and international health agencies estimate that the incidence rates for mesothelioma will continue to rise in Britain over the next ten years, as workers who handled the toxic substance reach retirement age.
Mesothelioma has a long latency period, sometimes as high as three or four decades, before patients begin to show symptoms. In Mr. Newcombe’s case, he worked as a carpenter in local schools and senior citizen centers during the late 1970s, well before the scientific community understood the dangers of handling asbestos. Mr. Newcombe’s wife, Deborah, said that her husband did not receive any warnings about the health hazards surrounding asbestos, nor was he provided any protective equipment.
Since his diagnosis, Mr. Newcombe has had surgery to remove the tumor, as well as a portion of his left lung. He is still undergoing chemotherapy in an effort to keep the disease under control. Ms. Newcombe said that, despite his illness and his weakened state due to the chemotherapy drugs, her father is helping her plan for her twenty-first birthday in January.
As for Mr. Newcombe’s opinion on his daughter’s skydiving attempt, she said that her father believed it was a good idea and would bring much-needed attention to the disease, but that he “thinks I’m mad to do it”.
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