A Foxboro, Massachusetts widow has dedicated over 2,000 hours of her time to a local hospital. Working as a health care volunteer, Geraldine "Gerry" Parker, age 79, has now volunteered for the equivalent of 84 24-hour shifts. Gerry knows the value of good health care. In addition to being a cancer survivor herself, she also lost her husband Milton “Pete” Parker to mesothelioma back in 1984.

Mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer, is most often caused by exposure to asbestos, a mineral once used in a wide array of home goods and building materials. Mesothelioma affects less than 3,000 Americans each year, and while there are palliative treatment methods available. The majority of patients lose their battle with this cancer in less than two years after being diagnosed by a physician.

The cancer can take multiple decades to manifest and be detected, and most patients exhibit no symptoms during this time. However, this often means that the cancer goes undiagnosed for many years until the cancer has reached an advanced stage. As with all cancers, mesothelioma patients stand to fight back against the cancer with an increased rate of success if the condition is caught early.

Parker, who first volunteered at the former Southwood Hospital, now works in the mammography department of Caritas Foxboro. "I’ve been fortunate in my life," Parker said. "It just makes me feel good to do something for someone else. It’s not much."

Five years ago, after she underwent surgery for colon cancer at Norwood Hospital, and had chemotherapy at Caritas Foxboro, she decided to give back. "When that happened, I made up my mind I was going to volunteer there," she said.

Asbestos dumped at Garnet Jackson Reserve in Australia has been left in place for a three week period while the Botany Bay Council discusses options and awaits the final environmental assessment. This lack of action has been criticized by University of New South Wales professor of toxicology and occupational health, Chris Winder, who argues that the land should have been capped with soil to keep the material from becoming airborne.

“It wouldn’t be that hard to do, so if it’s still open someone is not doing their job properly,” he said. “It is a material that is feared by the community so it is only right for the responsible people to take all practicable steps to ensure no exposure occurs. Asbestos is very light and the merest breeze will lift the particles up and send them downwind. They are fibers, they are not like a grain of sand - they are not solid - they are a long thin thing which can be picked up by the wind.”

Asbestos exposure has been repeatedly linked to the development of mesothelioma. The majority of patients lose their battle with this rare cancer in under two years. The cancer affects thousands worldwide every year. The asbestos at this particular site is believed to have been dumped illegally by a local building company.

Botany Environment Watch President Nancy Hillier said, “We have had some terrible winds of late. The council need to put resident’s minds at rest and act immediately to ensure the dust is not carried.”