Cousin of Michelle Dewberry reveals cancer ordeal and her campaign for asbestos cancer victims
A former pharmacy worker who has been diagnosed with mesothelioma after exposure to asbestos at work has said hundreds of thousands of people could die from exposure in Britain’s buildings.
Susan Farrall spoke about her ordeal to her cousin Michelle Dewberry in her show on GB News. Her comments come amid a major new campaign by the Daily Mail on the issue.
Speaking to GB News, Farrall, 56, who is dying from the mesothelioma said: “I was diagnosed with mesothelioma two years ago. I was told it’s terminal lung cancer caused by asbestos exposure, something which I didn’t think I’d ever gone through.
“I was told to probably have about nine to 12 months to live. My diagnosis came after six months of investigations, being treated for post COVID infections. I was coughing and breathless. I had fluid on the lung, which was drained three times – all classic symptoms of mesothelioma, as I know now.
“When I asked why it had taken so long to diagnose despite these classic symptoms, I was told by my consultant that they weren’t looking for it with me. I was a 56 year old female in previous good health, and I didn’t fit the demographic.
“So asbestos was banned in 1999 but it still fills our schools and hospitals, our leisure centres and our shopping centres. As these buildings deteriorate, the risk of asbestos exposure will increase.
“It’s the scourge of modern society. It’s a national scandal, and we’ve all been hoodwinked into thinking that because it’s banned, it’s safe.
“I had a career in pharmacy for 25 years. My exposure came from just going to work in a high street pharmacy.
“For decades, government policy has been to leave it in situ, box it off, paint it over until it’s too late. We need a central register of where the asbestos is and a programme to remove it.
“There’s a long road. At the moment, the government policy is just to leave it there. I’d love to see change. I hope I can leave that as my legacy. That’s what I would love to happen, and I really hope it does happen.
“I’ve made it a bit of a mission to raise awareness and raise funds for research into mesothelioma. All I did was go to work and it shouldn’t be happening. My life is kind of on fast forward now.
“Some people like to sit in a corner and maybe dwell on it. My life’s on a fast forward. I wanted to see my son get married, I want to see certain parts of the world.
“A lot of people [with mesothelioma] tend to have problems going uphill, whereas some people can walk on a flat. If you’re breathless going uphill, and just the severity of it and if it keeps on, just persevere. My GP, all he wanted to do was give me antibiotics for a post COVID infection, just persevere.”
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