A longtime blogger and advocate for asbestos awareness, Debbie Brewer, recently lost her battle with the disease at age 53. Ms. Brewer was diagnosed with mesothelioma in 2006 and was thought to have contracted the disease as a child through the daily welcome-home hugs to her father who worked around asbestos at a dockyard.
She is an example of the second-hand exposure sometimes overlooked when given a diagnosis of an asbestos-related disease. In fact, families were frequently exposed by proximity to the work clothes of family members who worked in an environment containing asbestos fibers. This exposure could be through laundering of the clothing or touch, as in the case of Ms. Brewer.
She continued her fight for asbestos awareness until the week of her death through her blog, Mesothelioma & Me. Ms. Brewer was presented an award at the 2012 Annual International Asbestos Awareness Conference in Los Angeles.
