Esperance service club helps find cure for deadly disease
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The Rotary Club of Esperance has donated $10,000 towards finding a cure for a disease which kills twice as many Australians as road accidents.
M e s o t h e l i o m a , caused by breathing in microscopic asbestos fibres, is a cancer without a cure.
At a Stonehenge function to raise cash on Saturday, club president Stephen Schmedje presented mesothelioma
sufferer Barry Knowles with a $10,000 contribution to fund research for a cure.
Six years ago Barry Knowles was diagnosed with mesothelioma and given six months to live.
Mr Knowles said he aimed to raise $150,000 through his not-for-profit Reflections through Reality Foundation to fund trials of a vaccine which arrested the growth of mesothelioma in mice and rats.
The foundation aimed to raise awareness of the risks of asbestos and to provide support for mesothelioma sufferers.
Foundation director Larry Graham told the 190 people at the dinner mesothelioma was no longer confined to miners and manufacturers of asbestos.
The number of women and children falling victim to the disease was increasing because of its widespread use in homes and public infrastructure.
“Thousands of people are dead because they ignored warnings about exposure to asbestos,” Mr Graham said.
He said asbestos was commonly used in fire blankets, kitchen trivets, clutch and brake linings until the mid-1980s.
“Please be careful of asbestos and treat it as a dangerous substance,” he said.
“As a Christian man I believe God has a purpose for me,” Mr Knowles said.
Faith sustained Mr Knowles to write and publish his autobiography
Reflections through Reality, to establish the foundation of the same name to raise funds for research into a cure and to support to mesothelioma sufferers.
Mr Knowles said he felt reaffirmed when the Governor of Western Australia helped launch the foundation, respiratory specialist Bill Musk became a director of the board and ABN Group managing director Dave Alcock joined as an investor in the foundation.