A woman from Minnesota, USA, shared that as a child she often wore her father’s worksite jacket to keep warm. Years later, she was diagnosed with lung cancer caused by prolonged exposure to asbestos and was once told by doctors that she only had about 15 months to live. Fortunately, after aggressive treatment, she has now survived for over 20 years and dedicates herself to public speaking to raise awareness about the dangers of asbestos.
According to the Daily Mirror, Heather Von St James, now 57, said that when she was young, she would put on her father’s work jacket—which he brought back from the construction site—on cold nights to go outside and feed her pet rabbit. She didn’t realize at the time that the jacket was covered in a gray-white dust that was actually asbestos. At age 36, during pregnancy, she began experiencing long-term fatigue and fever. A CT scan at the hospital revealed a tumor in her lung, and she was ultimately diagnosed with pleural mesothelioma—an aggressive lung cancer caused by asbestos exposure.
Doctors told her she would have only about 15 months to live unless she underwent surgery. She then underwent surgery to remove her left lung, the affected pleura, a rib, part of her diaphragm, and the pericardium. She also had four rounds of chemotherapy and 30 sessions of radiation therapy, ultimately succeeding in controlling the disease. However, with only one lung, her daily life is still affected, such as getting short of breath easily and reduced endurance.
Data indicate that asbestos-related diseases typically occur after prolonged exposure, with an incubation period that can last for decades. Currently, Von St James continues to share her experience in various places, promoting awareness and prevention of asbestos-related diseases. She also mentioned that with advances in medicine, treatments for these diseases have improved significantly, and hopes her experience can give other patients confidence and support.
Soon after her surgery, her medical team noticed her talent for communication and invited her to share her experiences with patients, which unexpectedly launched her career as a patient advocacy leader. She began giving talks to raise public awareness of asbestos-related diseases and to help newly diagnosed patients face their illness. In addition, her father passed away from kidney cancer in 2014, which doctors believe may have been related to asbestos exposure.