In July 2014, my father in law Philip was diagnosed with a rare and incurable cancer called mesothelioma. It is a cancer caused by exposure to asbestos. He had no idea when or how he was exposed to the asbestos but the chances are it was over 30 years ago and the asbestos fibre lay dormant for that time. Mesothelioma shows very few symptoms until it is at an advanced stage. Philip felt pains in his chest in June and went to the doctors, expecting to be told he had an infection, two months later he was diagnosed with mesothelioma and two months after that he passed away on October 8th 2014 . 

This disease affects between 1000-1500 people in the UK every year but that number is rising. Currently research into Mesothelioma is limited and there is no cure. The average life expectancy is very low and it is a devastating disease for the sufferer and their families to go through. 

The reason I have selected the British Lung Foundation is because they dedicate specific research into this fatal disease as well as campaigning for additinal funding for research into this little known cancer.  It is expected that numbers of people with mesothelioma will continue to rise and without research there is little hope for sufferers out there.  

The photo above is of Philip with his Grandson (our son) Noah the Christmas before he passed away in 2013.