A Kilbirnie grandmother’s retirement plans have been halted after she was diagnosed with mesothelioma – a form of cancer caused by exposure to asbestos fibres.
Jane Capaldi, 63, received her diagnosis halfway through last year after suffering with a cough that wouldn’t cease. After being referred to specialists by her GP, she had a biopsy and spent several days in a ward before hearing the news.
A life-changing illness
Mesothelioma is a cancer of the lungs and sometimes abdomen that is primarily caused by the inhalation of asbestos fibres. What makes mesothelioma so deadly is its tendency to lie dormant for potentially decades, with symptoms rarely showing until the cancer is already at an advanced stage.
The survival rate can vary depending on when the disease is detected, as well as gender and age, amongst other factors. However, only 50% of people survive a year after their initial diagnosis. The disease is massively debilitating.
After working across Scotland and abroad as a social worker, Jane wished to spend her retirement looking after her grandchildren in London. Due to her ailment, however, she now struggles to even walk through her town, let alone travel to the capital.
Raising awareness
Jane believes she was exposed to asbestos fibres while working at either a fishing net factory or weaving factory when she was younger. However, when she first visited her doctor, their initial response was to ask about her husband’s work, not her own employment.
“The doctor was talking about my ex-husband Domenic, and that he had worked in the shipyards, and asked me if I had ever shook his clothes… women have always worked and there should be more recognition of that, and that women can be exposed to asbestos in their own right.”
Jane is now working with the non-profit organisation Clydeside Action on Asbestos to raise more awareness and recognition for women who may have been exposed to asbestos.
Here at Salvum, we believe that the more asbestos awareness can be raised, the better for helping to prevent future asbestos-related diseases and support existing sufferers. For more information about our own asbestos surveying expertise, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
