Message goes by ‘air mail’
9:02am Tuesday 28th February 2006 in News By Kevin Burchall
Members of the Swindon and South West Asbestos group release the balloons at the Mesothelioma Memorial Garden.
THEY gathered to remember their loved ones, whose lives had been claimed by the killer condition dubbed the Swindon Disease.
But the widows of those who died after being exposed to deadly asbestos, hope yesterday's Action Mesothelioma Day will heighten awareness of the disease far beyond our town.
In a poignant moment of remembrance, more than 20 balloons with the names of asbestos victims were released at the town's Mesothelioma Memorial in Queen's Park.
As the tears of grief were dabbed away, members of Swindon and South West Asbestos Group said they hoped the British Lung Foundation-sponsored day would bring the dangers of asbestos to the fore.
"This is a national day and we are here to mark that," said Angela Whitehorn, of the Swindon and South West Asbestos Group.
"There is a lot of awareness of asbestos-related diseases in Swindon, but we hope that is extended to the whole country.
"My husband, Doug Findlay, worked on the railways and he died in 1997 after being ill for just 18 months.
"It (mesothelioma) is a terrible disease and there are lots of people out there who need support and we need to find a way of getting in touch with them, which is why awareness days like this are important."
The Swindon and South West Asbestos Group offers advice and support to family members affected by asbestos-related diseases and regularly organises social functions. It is run by the widows who have lost their husbands to the killer diseases associated with asbestos exposure.
But Action Mesothelioma Day, was also a time of reflection for 71-year-old Fred Large.
Mr Large, of Ferndale Road, who suffers from pleural thickening of the lungs, lost two brothers to the killer disease after both worked in the Swindon's railway works.
He said: "I had a brother who died in 1974 and he had 40 years in the boiler shop. He was 57.
"I had another brother in the foundry who also died. They never reached retirement.
"I was a decorator for 50 years but I picked up my condition while working at Plesseys.
"For me, today is all about remembering the poor chaps who have passed away, those who are still suffering with it now and those that don't know they have even got it.
"People doing DIY jobs should be made aware of asbestos that was used in some ceilings because a lot of the council houses had asbestos in them."
Swindon solicitor Brigitte Chandler of Charles Lucas and Marshall, who has become one of the country's top legal experts on asbestos-related diseases, paid tribute to those who had lost their lives after being exposed to asbestos.
She said: "We are here today to remember those who have died, but also to raise awareness of the devastating consequences of asbestos."
To find out more about the Swindon and South West Asbestos Group please call the helpline on 01793 496395 or ring Angela Whitehorn on 07919 200085.
Town is facing an epidemic predicts doctor
SWINDON is facing an epidemic in the number of cases of a vicious chest cancer, a leading expert has warned.
Dr Mark Britton believes the number of incidents of mesothelioma will rocket by 50 per cent in the next decade.
The disease, caused by exposure to asbestos fibres, has already brought pain and suffering to hundreds of families in the town whose relatives worked in railway workshops.
The warning comes as campaigners urged Prime Minister Tony Blair to boost the amount of funding for researching a cure.
A group of widows yesterday handed in a petition to Downing Street with more than 14,000 signatures demanding action.
Dr Britton, a consultant chest physician at Ashford and St Peter's Hospitals in Chertsey, Surrey, has warned the town to expect an upsurge in cases between now and 2020.
He said: "We are looking at an epidemic. We have already seen the number of cases nationwide increase from 700 to 2,000 since 1970 and it is projected to rise to a peak between 2020 and 2015 because there is a long delay from exposure to diagnosis."
