If you didn’t already know, Mesothelioma is a very aggressive cancer that affects the membrane lining of your abdomen and lungs. There are three major types of mesothelioma currently. What makes them different is the organs that they attack – Pleural Mesothelioma affects lung’s protective lining in our chest cavity, Pericardial Mesothelioma affects the cardiac cavity, and Peritoneal Mesothelioma affects the abdominal cavity. There is not yet a cure for mesothelioma, but I do hope they can find something sooner than later. It’s defiantly a serious disease that none of us ever want to hear from our doctor.
Meet Heather, an inspiration to many & living proof to never lose hope
I’m sharing this post for wonderful women by the name of Heather Von St. Hames who was diagnosed with pleural mesothelioma only a few months after having her daughter in 2005; she was only 36. Needless to say, when she and her husband found out they set out on a mission to find the very best treatment available which eventually landed them in Dr. David Sugarbaker’s office. Dr. Sugarbaker is a renowned mesothelioma surgeon located at Boston Based Brigham and Women’s’ Hospital.
Heather Von St. James was only 36 years young after just having a baby? I can’t, it had to have been one of the scariest things in the world. It had to be so hard to put on that brave face and face everything head on but in the end, it was worth it.
Do you want to hear something AMAZING? It’s been ten years, and she is a ten-year mesothelioma cancer survivor who has made it her mission to help others who may be experiencing the same diagnosis. She loves sharing her story because it can often bring light and hope to what may seem to be a dark and hopeless road. Well rather than try and tell you more why don’t you take a moment and watch Heather’s YouTube Video about being a mesothelioma cancer survivor story.
I”m going to warn you, you’ll probably cry tears from several different emotions. It’s such an inspirational story!
So did you cry the whole time or what? I did, I was sad because they were not able to be with their daughter. I can’t imagine how hard that was, and then cried because I was scared of her and the outcome, and then it all changed to happy tears! Cancer FREE for ten years, you go girl! Very inspirational story and just in the short time I have chatted with her back and forth through email has been awesome.
Exposure to asbestos primarily causes it, but there have been cases of people who have not had exposure to asbestos. If you are diagnosed with mesothelioma, I think it’s important to point out that you may be eligible for financial compensation if your diagnoses are due to exposure to asbestos.
Asbestos claims about 15,000 people every year here in the United States. As you can imagine raising awareness for this horrible disease is critical. The more we educate people, the safer they can be. Since Rare Disease Day is February 29th Heather wanted to share this information with you so you can educate yourselves, family and friends about mesothelioma. Plus, the sooner this cancer is found, the better. If found in stage 1 or 2 it could be curable, but if left until stage 3 or 4 it is not. Time is of the essence when dealing with any disease so it’s important we do everything we can to spread awareness. You never know it might be that one tweet you send that someone reads and schedules an apt with their doctor. I think it’s a chance worth taking!
What is Rare Disease Day?
So what exactly is Rare Disease Day? It’s an annual observance held on the last day in February to help raise awareness for rare diseases and work to improve access to treatments and medical representation.
This year marks the 9th annual World Rare Disease Day. Everything will happen on the last day of the month, February 29th, 2016 and some activities will take place in the United States, Europe, Russia, and more.
Since mesothelioma is considered a rare disease Rare Disease Day is a great time to raise awareness. People need to know about it. The more we are aware, the better off we are and possibly the earlier we see a doctor rather than waiting until it is too late. People also need to know about the impact this disease can have on everyone involved. Plus, because mesothelioma is a rare disease that means there is less money for research, fewer success stories and the answers you often get are not set in stone. Lack of funding leads to a whole world of probably that could have an adverse impact on the patient.
You can join Heather to help raise awareness of World Disease Day on the 29th; it’s only a few days away, and there are some ways you can get involved, It doesn’t need to be anything big either. Something as simple as taking to your social media network will be an enormous help.
How can you share your support?
- Share your story – Do you have a story or a loved one’s story you’d like to share. Consider sharing your story to help spread awareness.
- Educate yourself or someone else – Spend some time educating yourself about a rare disease so you can be a better advocate for that disease.
- Help other – We can never help enough. There is research program for academic scientists who are dedicated to finding new treatments or diagnostics for a rare disease. Learn more by visiting Mesothelioma.com.
- Participate – Find an event near you and help raise awareness.
To learn more about how you can take part in Rare Disease Day visit Mesothelioma.com.
To connect with Heather Von St. James, you can visit her at Mesothelioma.com/heather, like her on Facebook, and follow her on Twitter.
