July 12th, 2007

A UK man that died from the asbestos related cancer, mesothelioma, has left a written statement that could help a national campaign to educate people about what has been dubbed the silent killer, and to fight for victims of asbestos related illness.

Terrance Last was seventy-three years of age when he died, but he left a statement explaining how he used to watch youngsters having snowball fights with balls of asbestos in the street. He wrote this literally weeks before he died.

The statement was read at his inquest, and part of it read: “I worked in a factory in Ipswich which produced marzipan, jelly and cake toppings from 1955 onwards. There were boilers and pipes which were lagged with asbestos and often they would burst, leaving asbestos on the floor. I would sweep asbestos debris off the floor and remember young men outside playing with snowballs of the asbestos cement.”

The coroner stated: “He was referred to the hospital by his GP after he started suffering with shortness of breath in 2006. In March 21 this year he went to the hospital after suffering from shortness of breath again and was given oxygen, pain relief and tender loving care. He passed away peacefully on March 23 and the post-mortem showed it was of mesothelioma.”