A mother from Tamworth with asbestos-related cancer, Emily-Jane Scandrett, hopes to raise awareness of the disease after developing it with no understanding of when or how she might have been exposed to the hazardous material.
Ms Scandrett claims that, despite undergoing multiple tests, the disease went undiagnosed for seventeen months, including throughout her pregnancy. Her condition was caused by asbestos, which is primarily found in buildings constructed before the year 2000, most commonly between the 1960s and 1970s. It is more often found in men over the age of 75.
Ms Scandrett is calling for more awareness of symptoms among medical professionals and potential sufferers. During the fifth week of her second pregnancy in May 2022, she claims to have experienced severe pain in her chest. “I felt like I was being stabbed in my rib cage,” she said to BBC Radio WM. “It radiated up to my chest, shoulder and right arm.”
The mother of two was then admitted to hospital four times, but several scans and blood tests showed a normal result, leaving her unaware of the seriousness of the situation. Last year, she was given the shattering news that she had an incurable asbestos-related cancer.
“I’d heard of asbestos, but have never given it a second thought,” she said. “My body didn’t choose to inhale asbestos, it just happened and more awareness needs to be made to the general public and health professionals about the risks.”
Source: Read further information here – ‘I’ve no idea how I developed asbestos-related cancer’
Asbestos Biggest Cause of Work-Related Deaths in UK
According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), asbestos is the biggest cause of work-related deaths in the UK, despite being banned in 1999 due to the risks it poses to the public. According to independent campaigner and consultant Charles Pickles, “20,000 people die from asbestos exposure each year in the UK.
Source: To read his Daily Mail exclusive about asbestos exposure, click here.
Symptoms of asbestos-related cancer range from shortness of breath to chest pains and dry cough. After inhalation of asbestos fibres, they become embedded in the lining of the lung (pleura), which causes scarring and inflammation. This can lead to mesothelioma tumours further down the line.
Concluding her talk with BBC Radio WM, Ms Scandrett said, “At the moment the rebuilding programme in England will take more than 400 years to remove all the asbestos from schools and hospitals, that’s just not acceptable at all.” To raise money for such charities as Mesothelioma UK and Asbestos Support Central England (ASCE), she and her husband walked the marathon across Worcestershire on Saturday, 6 July.
To learn more, browse our other articles on asbestos as listed below:
- Experts Still Calling for Urgent Change in Law Regarding Asbestos-Related Lung Cancer
- Scientists Unveil Remarkable Treatment for Asbestos-Associated Cancer
- EU Council Legislation Updated to Protect Workers from Asbestos Exposure
Compensation Claims for Asbestos Related Diseases
Bridge McFarland LLP has industry-leading teams of personal injury lawyers in Lincoln, Hull, Market Rasen, Grimsby and Scarborough, helping clients locally and across the UK with their asbestos exposure claims
With specialist accreditations from The Law Society, Legal 500, the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers and Lexcel, you can be confident that the Personal Injury team at Bridge McFarland LLP will represent your case to the highest possible standard.
For clear advice about asbestos compensation claims, our approachable and understanding accident-at-work solicitors are on hand to discuss your potential claim.
To learn more about how our team can assist you, please call 0800 987 8800 or email info@bmcf.co.uk.
Read more about the work that we do on our dedicated Asbestos Awareness website.
