There are many people who don’t know the story of mesothelioma
– like how the rare cancer is caused by asbestos exposure and has no
cure. Or how mesothelioma has a long latency period and can take decades
to develop. Or how as many as 3,000 Americans are diagnosed each year.
For
family, friends, caregivers and mesothelioma victims and survivors
themselves, spreading awareness is fundamental for this reason. There
are so many people who don’t know about the disease. And there is a
great deal of awareness to spread.Luckily, there are tasks the
everyday person can do to help spread awareness and achieve a city,
county or state proclamation for Sept. 26 as Meso Awareness Day. And
it’s best to plan ahead, so the proclamation can be made before Meso
Awareness Day this year. Simply follow the below ten steps from Hanne
Mintz, former board member of the Mesothelioma Applied Research
Foundation. Mintz’s son Adam was diagnosed with peritoneal mesothelioma
at the age of 30.
- Identify your elected city/county/state representative.
- Discover your representative’s field deputy for your area of town.
- Research when that field deputy or representative gathers at your town hall meeting with other members of your community.
- If there are no upcoming community meetings with the field deputy or
representative, make an appointment to meet with this individual. - Gather as many friends, family and neighbors as you can.
- Attend any relevant community meetings or appointments so you can become acquainted with the representative or field deputy.
- Often the most important part – tell your story. How has
mesothelioma impacted your life? Talk about the disease, its link to
asbestos exposure and it’s impact on various members of your community
(including rel=”nofollow” >military members). - Talk about how dozens of communities throughout the U.S. have
already declared Sept. 26 Mesothelioma Awareness Day. Emphasize the
importance of meso awareness. - Make sure to discuss the benefits of raising awareness, including
its ability to help prevent future exposure, increase funding for much
needed research, and potentially save lives. - Simply ask your representative/field deputy this question: How do we
get our community to officially declare Sept. 26 Meso Awareness Day?
“You’re not asking them for money, you’re asking them for support,”
Mintz said at a presentation at the 2014 International Symposium on
Malignant Mesothelioma, hosted by the Mesothelioma Applied Research
Foundation. “You have to ask people, otherwise they won’t know to do
it.”
Another key tip to remember is to begin this process as
early as possible so it can happen before Sept. 26, 2015. With nine
months to go before Meso Awareness Day this year, there’s plenty of
time. If it’s important to you, it can be done.
In the words of
Hanne Mintz, “everybody doesn’t know our story.” We have to become
advocates to make sure the story of mesothelioma and the need for
prevention reaches as many ears and eyes as possible. You can help. Take
an active role in spreading mesothelioma awareness today, and learn
more about rel=”nofollow” >Mesothelioma Awareness Day.
