UK Woman Honored By Queen for Mesothelioma Fundraising

A UK woman who has raised the equivalent of more than $1 million for mesothelioma research in the last decade following the mesothelioma death of her husband will soon be honored by none other than the Queen for her heroic effort.

Chris Knighton established the Mick Knighton Mesothelioma Research Fund one year after the 2001 mesothelioma death of her husband. Her goal was initially to use the memorial fund to raise £100,000 (approximately $125,700 using current exchange rates), which was the average monetary amount in the UK being awarded to victims of mesothelioma.

However, the fund ended up succeeding far more than she initially expected. Ten years after its establishment, it had raised more than £1 million to fund mesothelioma research. Now at the age of 65, Knighton was surprised and overwhelmed when she received a notice that Queen Elizabeth would be making her a Member of the Order of the British Empire, a recognition known in the UK as an “MBE”.

“I received a letter from the cabinet office that said strictly private, and I thought, oh my God what’s this? I opened it and read it through and thought it can’t be me, I was looking on the back and thinking it will have a punch line at the end,” she said, according to the News Guardian. “I just couldn’t believe it, it was very surreal and overwhelming, but absolutely fantastic.”

Knighton’s nomination for the honor was made by members of the fund. She will formally receive the award for her services provided to mesothelioma research,

If you or a loved one has been exposed to significant amounts of asbestos in the past and now suffers from mesothelioma, there may be legal options available to you. Call Sokolove Law today to learn more about pursuing a mesothelioma lawsuit. For legal help, call (800) 581-6358.

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