Lancashire gran with terminal cancer fears illness was caused by deadly asbestos on late brother's clothes
A gran with terminal cancer fears her illness was caused by deadly asbestos dust on the clothes of her brother who she hugged every day after work.
Marie Pickup, 68, was sent for a routine chest X-ray for former smokers last year - which picked up concerning changes in her abdomen. Doctors found she had peritoneal mesothelioma - a type of cancer that affects the lining of the abdomen linked to asbestos exposure.
Marie says she used to hug her brother as soon as he came home from work at the Blackburn Corporation - now Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council - where he was a joiner between 1980-1985.
Marie, who has three kids and two grandchildren, believes his dust-covered work-clothes may have exposed her to asbestos during their daily embrace. Marie, from Blackburn, Lancs., said: "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. 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 asked specialist asbestos-related disease lawyers at Irwin Mitchell to investigate. The firm is now appealing to people with information about the upgrade to council-owned deck access flats and renovation works on the Delph Estate in the 1980s when Marie was known as Marie Halliwell at the time.
Helen Tomlin, the lawyer 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 make up 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."