Asbestos Victims Unite: “Out of the hottest fire comes the strongest steel”

June 2011: Linda and Larry at the MARF Symposium

I wanted to share two recent Facebook posts from Larry, one of the most courageous mesothelioma patients I have ever met during these past nine years.  The old Chinese Proverb must have written this for Larry and our ADAO family, “Out of the hottest fire comes the strongest steel.”  Larry, we all love you!   In unity, Linda Reinstein

*Note – the below are UNEDITED*

ADAO- is the World’s leading force on Banning Asbestos manufacturing and use in the USA- Eventually, Uncle Sam will realize USA has covered up and lied about how deadly Asbestos is. Pay off’s / corruption since 1928- must end now. Having ADAO is an inspiration to me. Please support the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization.  Also contact your Senators and Congressman to push for a Total Ban on Asbestos- It is so bad that Asbestos industry and insurers have even paid off a Member of our Supreme Court- It is not just a Democratic or Republican problem-Both Parties on the take. End result- more deaths and little research money for a cure.

Larry wrote: “Staying Mad at Uncle Sam is fueling my desire to beat Mesothelioma and deal with the endless amount of politicians that either don’t care or have taken trips and money from asbestos industry- The biggest fools have been University Professors that have been given money to write articles saying asbestos is safe- Chief Justice Stephen Breyer has written Mesothelioma victims are faking the disease- He leads the pack – HARVARD (Educated ) – Corrupted by Insurance money and false information- He is an embarrassment to our country and our hard working men and women.- Other folks that have shown arrogance and made no effort to help are Senator Joseph Lieberman CT and Sen. Bill Nelson FL- Both sent me the same form letter response to my plea for help. The letter must have been by the asbestos industry for them. The weakness in our Government shows more everyday- the corruption of power using $$$ is evident even to uneducated grunts like me. As a veteran I have contacted the American Legion Heads- They are just plan Stupid- don’t need any pay offs.”

More Good News From ADAO:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 30, 2012  

 

REDONDO BEACH, Calif.- A Statement from Linda Reinstein, Co-Founder, President & CEO of the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization regarding the Canadian Chrysotile Institute’s recent closure:

 

“On behalf of the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO), we are pleased to announce that the Montreal-based pro-asbestos Chrysotile Institute has officially announced its closure. ADAO travelled to Washington, D.C. in October 2011 to discuss the asbestos problem with Canadian Embassy officials and is thrilled to hear the news of the end of such a large pro-asbestos Canadian entity. The Institute, first formed in 1984, has for decades promoted the safe use of chrysotile asbestos on behalf of Canada’s asbestos mining industry. Poignantly, news of the institution’s closure first broke on Saturday, April 28, recognized around the world as International Workers’ Memorial Day, and subsequent phone calls discovered that the institute’s phone number was no longer in service. This signals a momentous step towards the cessation of the mining and exportation of asbestos in Canada, and symbolizes a promising future for the effort to globally protect public health.  According to the Montreal Gazette, Pat Martin, Member of Parliament, a former miner and longtime critic of the asbestos industry, said, “I see it as a real tipping point in the movement to get Canada out of the asbestos industry.”

 

On the heels of the Eternit criminal verdict for Stephan Schmidheiny and Louis Cartier de Marchienne in Turin, Italy, ADAO is confident in the global progress towards an end to asbestos. However, while the Canadian Chrysotile Institute was a hugely powerful government-sponsored supporter of asbestos and pro-asbestos rhetoric, it is important to remember that equivalent organizations still exist in asbestos-producing countries such as Russia and Brazil. The World Health Organization estimates that 107,000 people die every year from asbestos-related diseases and our battle is far from over yet.”

 

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About Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization

Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO) was founded by asbestos victims and their families in 2004. ADAO seeks to give asbestos victims and concerned citizens a united voice to raise public awareness about the dangers of asbestos exposure. ADAO is an independent global organization dedicated to preventing asbestos-related diseases through education, advocacy, and community. For more information, visit

www.asbestosdiseaseawareness.org.

Media Contact:

Doug Larkin

Director of Communications

Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO)
(202) 391-1546  doug@asbestosdiseaseawareness.org

Another Permanent Proclaimation of Meso Awareness Day …

Thank you to the Meso Foundation for keeping us updated!! And don’t forget to check out this year’s Symposium.

State of Virginia Passes and Signs Permanent Proclamation of Mesothelioma Awareness Day

The Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation (Meso Foundation) announced Monday that the State of Virginia is the eleventh state to pass a permanent proclamation marking every September 26 ‘mesothelioma awareness day’.

Robena Reid, a tireless mesothelioma advocate and ambassador who lost her mother to mesothelioma, worked closely with her state delegate, Mark Sickles (D-Franconia), to introduce the proclamation (HJ120) into the Virginia legislature. The proclamation passed the Virginia House and Senate on February 29, 2012.

This morning, Robena Reid along with Meso Foundation’s Executive Director, Kathy Wiedemer, and Meso Foundation’s Government Affairs Director, Jessica Barker, attended the signing of the proclamation by Governor Bob McDonnell in Richmond, Virginia.

“We are grateful to the Virginia Legislature for bringing much-needed attention to this often neglected cancer, and we hope this will prompt Virginians, as well as others, to learn more about this dangerous disease,” said the executive director of the Meso Foundation, Kathy Wiedemer.

The text of the proclamation can be found on the Virginia’s Legislative website at http://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?121+cab+HC10119HJ0120+UCRR

To read the full article presented by the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation click on this link.

ADAO Honors Larry

A very special thank you goes to Linda Reinstein for her kind words and to Dr. David Davis for accepting this award on his brother’s behalf.

Fred Couples Designates Funds from The Presidents Cup to the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation

 

World-renowned golfer, Fred Couples, directed $25,000 of the proceeds from The Presidents Cup golf tournament to the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation.

Washington, DC (PRWEB) April 16, 2012

Fred Couples, a 15-time PGA TOUR event winner and six-time Champions Tour event winner, recently designated a check in the amount of $25,000 to the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation (Meso Foundation). This contribution is a portion of the charitable proceeds generated from The Presidents Cup 2011 at Royal Melbourne Golf Club in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, in which Couples served as captain of the victorious U.S. Team for the second consecutive time.

The Presidents Cup is a unique golf event in that it offers no purse or prize money. Players are not personally paid for their participation; instead, each competitor, captain and captain’s assistant allocates their portion of the proceeds generated to chosen charitable causes.

Mr. Couples’ and Ms. Midge Elo’s gift to the Meso Foundation (Couples gave gifts to 13 other organizations as well) was made in memory of George Elo, who lost his life to mesothelioma.

The Meso Foundation is the leading organization dedicated to eradicating mesothelioma as a life-ending cancer by funding peer-reviewed mesothelioma research, with over $7.6 million awarded to date. The Meso Foundation also provides patients and families with personalized and up-to-date information on mesothelioma treatments, clinical trials and medical referrals. More information about the Meso Foundation is available on their website at http://www.curemeso.org.

A total of $4.5 million will be distributed to charitable causes around the world from The Presidents Cup 2011, a record-setting amount for this prestigious competition and part of the more than $27 million raised since the inception of the event in 1994.

The Presidents Cup is a biennial match-play competition between the United States Team and the International Team, which was first contested in 1994. The International Team includes the world’s best players from non-European countries.

The U.S. Team captured The Presidents Cup for the seventh time, led by Captain Fred Couples and a 5-0-0 performance by veteran Jim Furyk. Tiger Woods, one of Couples’ two captain’s picks, clinched the Cup for the United States with a 4-and-3 win over Australia’s Aaron Baddley in Sunday Singles.

For more information on The Presidents Cup, visit http://www.PresidentsCup.com.

For more information on the Meso Foundation go to www.curemeso.org

Asbestos Exposure Infographic

Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral that was once used in thousands of consumer, industrial and construction products. Despite its uses, asbestos is a known human carcinogen and the National Cancer Institute suggests that there is no safe level of asbestos exposure. The most common asbestos-related diseases include mesothelioma, lung cancer, asbestosis and gastrointestinal cancer.

While the dangers of asbestos are well-known, this “silent killer” often remains hidden. Whether it’s in our homes, schools or offices, asbestos potentially could be lurking everywhere. It’s important that we remind the public about this unseen danger and help victims of asbestos-related diseases. The image below puts this problem into perspective.

Help others learn more about how to avoid asbestos and prevent mesothelioma. To embed this infographic on your own website, follow the instructions at the bottom of this page.

Asbestos exposure infographic brought to you by Sokolove Law

Major Italian Asbestos Trial Jails 2 & A M4M Speaker Was There

The BBC is reporting that Swiss tycoon Stephan Schidheiny & Belgian baron Jean-Louis de Cartier have been sentenced to 16 years in jail for their roles in knowingly exposing thousands to asbestos.

L to R: Courtney Davis, Marilyn Davis Whitehead, Paul Whitehead, Linda Reinstein

ADAO co-founder & Miles For Meso 2012 Symposium speaker Linda Reinstein left this year’s event to travel unexpectedly to Milan for the verdict.

It is an unprecedented ruling that will undoubtedly affect all future cases.

Two convicted in asbestos-linked deaths trial in Italy

A BBC Report

“This trial will go down in history… but it will not bring my dad back,” Piero Ferraris, whose father Evasio died in 1988 of lung cancer after working in a local Eternit factory, was quoted as saying by the AFP news agency.

An Italian court has convicted a Swiss tycoon and a Belgian baron of negligence over some 2,200 asbestos-related deaths.

Stephan Schidheiny and Jean-Louis de Cartier each got 16 years in prison.

The Turin court said the two had failed to comply with safety rules at building firm Eternit, where they were key shareholders. They denied the charges.

Prosecutors argued that thousands had died from contact with asbestos fibres processed in four of the firm’s plants.

Swiss Schmidheiny, 64, and Belgian De Cartier, 90, were sentenced in absentia on Monday.

read more from the BBC article …