A Massachusetts mesothelioma widow recently suffered a painful theft following the loss of her husband. Mike Urban, a firefighter, died on January 7 after battling mesothelioma cancer. At his funeral, his firefighting helmet was presented to his widow who gave it to Urban’s nephew for safekeeping. In a snowstorm that followed the service, the nephew had to abandon his car with the helmet in it. The car was retrieved in better weather, but the helmet was gone.
The family was distraught. One firefighter said of the helmet, “It’s everything to us, it’s a symbol of what we are. A piece of it is missing from Mike now.” In an attempt to aid the grieving family, local authorities offered a $1000 reward for anyone who could return the helmet.
Mesothelioma is a common threat to firefighters. A rare cancer, mesothelioma is caused by asbestos fibers that have become airborne and inhaled. In the fire and collapse of a burning building, asbestos containing materials that may have been safe are torn apart, releasing the toxic chemical. Even with protective gear on, firefighters are at risk from the dust and ash that continues long after the fire has been put out.
Once inhaled, asbestos fibers can start a mutation process in the lining of abdominal cavities, most often the lungs. This process develops into irregular patterned tumors, which take decades to demonstrate mesothelioma symptoms. Many mesothelioma patients have no idea they are ill until twenty to fifty year after their asbestos exposure when they begin to show signs of the cancer. Symptoms include coughing and wheezing, which are often mistaken for pneumonia.
There are mesothelioma treatments available, including surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy. There is, however, no known cure. Following diagnosis, mesothelioma patient life expectancy ranges from six months to two years. Palliative care is being chosen by more and more patients—a treatment regime focusing on pain management and quality of life.
Days after it had disappeared, Urban’s helmet was left in a backpack outside the Middleboro, Massachusetts Fire Department in the middle of the night. No one requested the advertised reward. The helmet was returned to Urban’s family.
This entry was posted on Wednesday, January 26th, 2011 at 9:58 AM and is filed under General, News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.
No comments:
Post a Comment