September 26th officially declared National Mesothelioma Awareness Day
November 29, 2010 - The Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation (MARF) announced that the U.S. House of Representatives passed H. Res. 771 designating September 26th as National Mesothelioma Awareness Day.
The first official Mesothelioma Awareness Day will take place on September 26, 2011. The new resolution is permanent, which means September 26th will now be celebrated as such every year.
Motley Rice asbestos lawyer Anne Kearse spoke to local news organizations this past September in support of efforts to get the resolution signed.
"Mesothelioma is sometimes considered a disease of the past, but the truth is there are more than 2,500 cases diagnosed each year. As a lifelong advocate of asbestos victims, I will stand up alongside any organization devoted to helping mesothelioma victims and their families the way MARF does."
She offered some staggering statistics about mesothelioma:
- Men are three times more likely to develop mesothelioma than women.
- The average patient age is 65.
- The average length of survival following diagnosis is less than a year.
- Many mesothelioma patients are veterans who were exposed to asbestos during service.
- Other at-risk occupations include: shipyard workers, insulators, railroad employees, electricians, steamfitters, pipefitters, boilermakers, chemical and power plant workers and auto mechanics.
If you would like to contact an asbestos lawyer to discuss Mesothelioma Awareness Day or learn more about asbestos-related diseases or asbestos lawsuits, please contact us.