Killed by cancer... because she hugged her dad in his asbestos covered overalls as a little girl
A MotheR of three died from cancer caused by hugging her father as a child when he was wearing overalls covered in asbestos.
susan Macgregor died aged 58 after a 14-month battle with mesothelioma, which is associated with exposure to asbestos and affects the lungs and digestive tract.
she had been baffled by the shock diagnosis in september 2015, given she had no knowledge of having come into contact with the building material.
Mrs Macgregor underwent six courses of chemotherapy and an operation to remove part of the affected area of the chest, but eventually succumbed to the disease in November last year.
her family were stunned when an inquest in May revealed that the cause was most likely childhood hugs with her father, Dred Carter, who was a pipe-fitter.
husband Dave, of Willington, Derbyshire, said: ‘the children are absolutely devastated. they’ve lost their mother, they’ve lost a friend, the grandchildren have lost their nana and I’ve lost my wife. In truth, we were lucky to have her for the 14 months we did.’
Mrs Macgregor, a receptionist who was a keen walker, first noticed that something was wrong when she had trouble breathing after exercising.
A hospital visit then confirmed the dreaded news that she had caught the devastating cancer, which kills 2,500 people a year in the UK. Among the symptoms are shortness of breath, chest or lower back pain and excessive sweating.
Mr Macgregor, 66, said: ‘It was really hard losing her and, after a lot of digging into her work background, we had no idea how she could have got it. Not knowing just added to the trauma of the whole thing.
‘But, following the inquest, the coroner came up with the most likely cause of her being in contact with asbestos was probably through her dad’s overalls.
‘he was a pipe-fitter and used to come home at night in his work clothes and play with her and cuddle her and we think that’s how she came into contact with asbestos.
‘he died around 18 years ago, and susan always said he was a very affectionate man.
‘Whenever he came back from work, he would pick up her and her sister Lisa and give them a big cuddle. he loved his children, and he just thought hugging them was one of the ways to show that. of course, he had no idea what the risks were.’
Most of those affected by mesothelioma are men aged between 60 and 80. It is almost always caused by exposure to asbestos. Microscopic fibres get stuck in the lungs, damaging tissues over time, usually around 20 years. Unfortunately, the outlook after diagnosis tends to be poor because the cancer does not usually cause any obvious symptoms until late on and it can progress quite quickly once it reaches this stage.
Mr Macgregor, a retired engineer, expressed his sadness that his wife’s loving family upbringing could have had such an affect on her later life.
‘It’s a really scary thought, that something so innocent could cause so much devastation all those years later,’ he said.
‘We should be preparing to enjoy our retirement together now, but instead this devastating disease has taken that away. I feel like she has been snatched away from me.’
he was full of praise for the Derbyshire Asbestos support team, a charity for those who have suffered ill-health or bereavement as a result of asbestos.
the use of asbestos was completely banned in 1999, but materials containing asbestos are still found in many older buildings across the country.
‘He was very affectionate’