A pair of siblings from the UK has organized a charity skydiving event in memory of their father, who passed away from mesothelioma. Bill Rawlinson died in October of 2007 after a struggle with pleural mesothelioma, caused by exposure to asbestos. He was 64. Now his children Paul and Claire have honored his memory by skydiving to raise money for the Mick Knighton Mesothelioma research fund.
The Mick Knighton Mesothelioma research fund is an organization dedicated to raising money for mesothelioma research. The organization also hopes to raise awareness about the rare cancer, and provides support to sufferers and their families. Mesothelioma is a cancer that aggressively attacks the body. It is so aggressive that it is not uncommon for sufferers to die mere months after being diagnosed. Asbestos exposure is the most common cause of mesothelioma, and can also cause lung cancer and asbestosis.
In the UK, the rates of mesothelioma cancer are a bit higher than here in the US, where approximately 2,500 individuals are diagnosed with the disease annually.
According to Paul, he did not come up with the idea. "It was my sister's idea to do a skydive...She's not really one to take part in extreme sports, but she wanted to do something out of the ordinary to show how committed we are." The siblings completed their dive on June 20th. Paul completed a solo jump with a static line parachute from 3,500 feet in the air. His sister Claire took on a tandem jump from a height of 14,000 feet. The brother and sister team hope to raise 2,000 (about $3,300 in US currency).
Mesothelioma activists from around the world can support Paul and Claire's efforts. Donations for the Mick Knighton Mesothelioma research fund in memory of Bill Rawlinson can still be made online by visiting www.justgiving.com/billrawlinson.
In the US, a number of oncologists who specialize in studying and treating mesothelioma cancer, including Stephen Yang, MD of the Johns Hopkins Division of Thoracic Surgery continue to push for a cure for this fatal disease.
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