Sokolove Law to recognize Mesothelioma Awareness Day on September 26

On September 26, 2010, Sokolove Law will recognize Mesothelioma Awareness Day, which was inaugurated five years ago by the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation (MARF) to bring attention to this deadly, incurable and often overlooked cancer.  Activities include regional fundraising events and local government proclamation requests in dozens of states, counties and cities.

Most people who suffer from mesothelioma have been exposed on a regular basis to asbestos, usually as a result of their occupation and work history.  These individuals may have handled asbestos directly or were in an environment with a high concentration of asbestos fibers in the air.  People can even develop mesothelioma as a result of secondhand asbestos exposure, which occurs when a person is indirectly exposed to the material through either a household member or the environment.   Secondhand exposure can occur from interactions as innocent as a young child hugging his/her dad when he returns from a shipyard or factory wearing clothes covered in asbestos fibers.

Mesothelioma patient and survivor Larry Davis, of Pompano Beach, Florida is determined to alert the public to the dangers of this "Silent Killer" and is one of the many growing voices across America dedicated to finding a cure.   

"My dad passed away of mesothelioma at a very young age due to asbestos exposure from working at a box manufacturing plant in New Haven, Connecticut.  Now I have this deadly disease and am committed to driving attention to it so we can raise monies to find a cure," declares Davis, an avid road runner who takes pride in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. "The only way to beat this cancer is to fund research.  Every race I participate in is another opportunity to let others know that asbestos exposure is very much a real issue.  I am living for a cure."

Davis has been an athlete for over 30 years, but four years ago, he was diagnosed with peritoneal mesothelioma, a terminal cancer.  "National Mesothelioma Awareness Day is another way to raise awareness to the general public that mesothelioma is everyone's problem.  Asbestos is still being used in the United States and can be found in automobile parts, pipe insulation and some construction materials, to name a few,"  Davis explains.  "The more people that are aware of the dangers of asbestos and its deadly fibers, the easier it will be for us to fight it."

Asbestos is not banned in the United States, which means thousands of people are still vulnerable to exposure to this fiber-like mineral. There is a hot list of industries which leave some individuals more susceptible to developing mesothelioma. However, the presence of asbestos in older construction can leave others just as vulnerable.  Thousands of tons of asbestos were released during the collapse of the World Trade Center Twin Towers on September 11, 2001 and as a consequence of Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

For more information on asbestos, visit www.MesoRC.com, a resource site that is continually expanding to better provide information to those currently living with or caring for a victim of mesothelioma.    

Source :  Sokolove Law