Today the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) released a draft report from the Gulf War Veterans' Illness Task Force on the current state of Gulf War Veterans' health in the hopes to gather public opinion and comments in an on-going effort to improve the quality of medical care and types of medical services offered. Further, the draft report calls for an improvement in addressing the medical needs of Gulf War Veterans with “multi-symptom” illnesses and expanding the scope of clinical studies.

The Face Of Climate Change is the theme for Earth Day 2013. Countries around the world are mobilizing their citizens to take part in various activities to raise awareness of the growing threat of climate change. From a green car show in Santa Barbara to an Earth Day Flash Mob in Korea, people of the world are taking part in this historic day to celebrate and raise awareness.

The Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance would like to thank Shirley White, the Advocate of the Month for April, for sharing her story about her husband’s fight against epithelial left lung mesothelioma. Shirley’s story is important to share with our community for support and especially during an important week like Asbestos Awareness Week. With our shared knowledge and support, our community can continue to spread awareness and hope for this disease.

Every year, the first week of April is known as Asbestos Awareness Week. Asbestos, a naturally occurring fibrous material, is a known human carcinogen and has been linked as a cause to asbestos-related cancers and mesothelioma. Despite such serious results from exposure to this mineral, asbestos is still not banned completely in the United States and many other countries. The purpose of Asbestos Awareness Week is to raise awareness and promote education about the dangers of asbestos, the legislation surrounding asbestos and asbestos exposure victims, and education about asbestos-related disease.

With March Madness in the air, so many people are focusing on their brackets. We're looking at the places teams will be playing as well, but for different reasons. Want to know how March Madness and the places these teams are playing relate to the world of mesothelioma and asbestos? Here are some examples:

The Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance would like to thank Shelia Philyaw, the Advocate of the Month for March. In an interview with Shelia, we learned how cancer has affected her family, with mesothelioma affecting her mother. As a nurse, Shelia has been a key caregiver for her family and wanted to share her story, knowledge and support with the MCA community.

Thinking of getting wrist deep in a home DIY project you saw on Pinterest? Still using an ancient appliance from your first apartment because it seems to be just as good as new? While many of us may have an “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” attitude, some of your best money saving ideas can pose a serious health risk. Within your home and other unexpected places like schools and appliances, asbestos, a carcinogen known to cause asbestosis and mesothelioma, can linger.

With the rise of people being diagnosed with mesothelioma from asbestos exposure, it has sounded an alarm with the general public. People everywhere are beginning to wonder if they, or their families, have been exposed to asbestos in their homes or somewhere else in their day-to-day life. A lot of people are under the impression that asbestos only lies in certain building materials, like siding. However, these deadly fibers can be present in a lot of other places as well.

Malignant mesothelioma is a rare cancer that few people survive. This disease has made the news in recent years due to lawsuits filed against companies that do not disclose their knowledge of the potential toxic results of asbestos exposure.

Diana & Fred

The Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance would like to take a moment to thank Diana Davey, the Advocate of the Month for December. Diana has been incredibly active and visible in our Facebook community and continues to help spread the message of the MCA, while lending her support and knowledge to others affected by cancer. Below is an interview with Diana about how Mesothelioma affected her way of life and why she continues to spread the message of MCA.

Michael Stevens, a former member of the Merchant Navy, died from repeated asbestos exposure and subsequent malignant mesothelioma. He was 83.

Similarly to the Merchant Marine in the United States, the Merchant Navy operates on behalf of the United Kingdom. Formerly established and nationally recognized by King George V after World War I, the Merchant Navy served a pivotal role not only in the Great War but also in World War II. These privately operated vessels supported the Royal Navy's efforts during times of conflict.

Mitt Romney's oversight of Bain Capital correlated directly with the maneuvers made to liquidate GSI and return a substantial profit to the company. Here, a younger Romney is shown at the height of his stewardship over the private equity company. (Huffington Post)

In early 2012, reports circulated detailing some of the profit-centered entitlement raids that occurred at Bain Capital under Republican Presidential nominee, Mitt Romney. The Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance became intrigued when asbestos industry defendants appeared on a list of these types of corporate liquidations and commissioned a three-month investigation of the company’s handling of GS Industries through journalist, Gary Cohn. What we uncovered is the true human tragedy of collateral damage stemming from this profit model. We found a community affected by decades of toxic exposure, gasping for breath while picking up the pieces among an uncertain future.

Left to right- Leah and Stacy

Late last week, Leah and Stacy, two sisters who joined together to fight against the asbestos industry after losing their father to mesothelioma, along with the entire anti-asbestos community, were outraged and saddened when the Canadian government in Quebec loaned the Jeffery asbestos mine $58 million to reopen their operations. Last year, the Jeffery Mine was closed because of financial troubles. With the well-known connection to cancer, the Jeffery mine's closing was a victory for those fighting to close it. Now, more than ever, Leah and Stacy could use the help of all anti-asbestos supporters to help victims and their families' have a voice against this deadly carcinogen and continue to fight to shut down asbestos mining!

"We cannot tell the precise moment when friendship is formed. As in filling a vessel drop by drop, there is at last a drop which makes it run over; so in a series of kindnesses there is at last one which makes the heart run over."-James Boswell Debbie & I finally meet!Friends

I cannot remember the moment I became aware of other mesothelioma warriors around the globe, but, sometime in the last few years, my friendship base grew from a couple of people I knew from Boston to many people from all over the world—the United Kingdom, Australia, Brazil; the list goes on and on. A few in particular stuck out because of their fierce passion against this disease and what it has done to their lives and to others’ lives as well. “Turn anger into action,” they say. Sadly, many have passed, succumbed to this dreadful disease and mourned by people worldwide. Many are doing well, fighting hard, and making it known that they won’t give in. I was lucky enough to meet one of these brave women this last weekend when my husband and I attended the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization’s annual conference in Los Angeles, CA.

Asia is heading for a huge jump in asbestos-related diseases in the coming decades, according to numerous scientific studies and two of the world’s most prominent experts on public health and asbestos exposure. Not surprisingly, the consequences are expected to be felt most severely in India and China, two emerging economies and most populous countries in the world.

Asbestos: a fiber that is 700 times smaller than a human hair, yet it kills 90,000 people a year. Asbestos exposure can cause the deadly disease known as mesothelioma, an aggressive, yet preventable, disease.

This past weekend I traveled to Los Angeles, California to attend the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization's international conference, “Asbestos: An International Public Health Crisis”. From March 30 to April 1, I was surrounded by renowned experts and other asbestos victims and survivors like myself. It is an amazing event that brings us together to share our experiences and learn about how we can help spread awareness and education about the disease and learn about new treatment options.

Many families today have members facing one of the most lethal cancers, mesothelioma. The cancer occurs due to exposure to asbestos and is the most serious of all asbestos-related diseases. Once considered rare, more and more people are now being diagnosed with mesothelioma. Asbestos can lay silent within the body for years before presenting itself as mesothelioma, and even then symptoms mimic common ailments making it very difficult to diagnose. This is one of the many reasons why the disease is so deadly. Asbestos also has the ability to spread from host to host, carried and transferred via clothing. Mesothelioma is a frightening reality and these stories tell how the disease affected the lives of patients and their families.

What is Asbestos?

According to the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA), asbestos is “the name given to a group of naturally occurring minerals used in certain products, such as building materials and vehicle brakes, to resist heat and corrosion.”

On Christmas Day, 2009, George E. Donnelly received crippling news. A day for celebrations and laughter with family turned tragic as his life, along with those of his wife and three children, hung by the barest of threads.