'Hugs with my brother may have caused my terminal cancer'
Marie Pickup, 68, underwent a routine chest X-ray for former smokers last year - and the results showed alarming changes in her abdomen.
A grandmother who is battling terminal cancer believes her heartbreaking diagnosis may have been caused by hugging her brother too much. Marie Pickup, 68, had a routine chest X-ray for former smokers last year, which shockingly revealed significant changes in her abdomen.
Doctors found that she was suffering from peritoneal mesothelioma - a type of cancer that affects the abdominal lining and is often linked to asbestos exposure. Marie remembers warmly greeting her brother when he returned home from his job as a joiner at Blackburn Corporation - now known as Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council - between 1980-1985.
The mum-of-three and gran-of-two suspects that his work clothes, laden with dust, might have exposed her to asbestos during their daily embraces.
Marie, from Blackburn, recalled: "I remember my brother coming home from work with his clothes covered in dust.
"I used to hug him as soon as he got in, and I was often there when my mum shook out his work clothes in the kitchen to get rid of the dust.
"It's only now years later that I suspect that I was unwittingly exposed to asbestos fibres brought home. I'm shocked and saddened that something so innocent may have resulted in my diagnosis.", reports the Mirror.
"Before my illness, I was a keen gardener, and loved spending time on our narrowboat with my husband Tony. I can no longer manage these activities due to the tenderness in my abdomen.
"Sadly, my brother is no longer with us, but I just want to know how this happened and hope that anyone who remembers working for Blackburn Corporation can come forward with details."
Following her diagnosis, Marie turned to specialist asbestos-related disease lawyers at Irwin Mitchell for support. The firm is now making an urgent appeal for information regarding the refurbishment of council-owned deck access flats and renovation works on the Delph Estate during the 1980s, when Marie was known as Marie Halliwell.
Helen Tomlin, the solicitor representing Marie, said: "Marie's diagnosis is a stark reminder of the devastating legacy of asbestos exposure, which can affect not only workers but also their loved ones many years later.
"We've sadly seen many situations like this where secondary exposure to harmful asbestos has occurred. It's a reminder that it's not just those working with the substance can be affected by asbestos-related illnesses.
"While nothing can makeup for Marie's diagnosis and what it means for the future, we're determined to provide her with the answers she deserves.
"If anyone who worked for Blackburn Corporation in the early 1980s, particularly those involved in the renovation of deck access flats or the works on the Delph Estate, could come forward with information it could prove key in helping Marie and her family understand how she was exposed to asbestos."