Celebrity Blogger Brings Attention to Mesothelioma
On June 3rd, Perez Hilton, an infamous blogger known for posting the latest juicy celebrity gossip, photos, and videos, mentioned the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation in one of his “inspiration” tagged posts which aim to educate readers on organizations striving to raise money for various causes.
Hilton urges readers to “read up on and donate to a very worthwhile cause!”
Because the only known cause of mesothelioma, an extremely aggressive and lethal form of cancer, is exposure to asbestos, it is typically associated with war veterans and workers and laborers, such as electricians, mechanics, insulators, plumbers, and roofers.
However, it is a disease that has touched Hollywood as well.
In 1980, American actor Steve McQueen died while in the advanced stages of peritoneal mesothelioma, a form found in the abdominal cavity. McQueen believed his exposure to asbestos came from working with pipes while he was in the Marines.
Film and television actor Paul Gleason, seen in movies such as The Breakfast Club and Die Hard, died in 2006 after being diagnosed with pleural mesothelioma, a form found in the lining of the lungs. He attributed his exposure to asbestos to the work he did on building sites while growing up.
And most recently, Merlin Olsen, a Professional Football Hall of Fame defensive lineman, football commentator, and actor, died of pleural mesothelioma in March 2010. In a lawsuit against a number of companies, including NBC Universal, The Sherwin Williams Company, and 20th Century Fox, he claimed to have been exposed to asbestos at several points in his life such as when he worked with asbestos materials at an after-school job and constantly being around workers installing drywall later in life.
The Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation is a non-profit dedicated to funding mesothelioma research, supporting and educating patients, and advocating federal funding.
A representative from the organization commented on the blog with the following: “Wow – what an honor to have our Foundation mentioned on your site!! On behalf of our Board of Directors, patients and families we serve, I thank you for recognizing our tireless efforts to find better treatment options for mesothelioma patients…. To learn more about our mission, please visit www.CureMeso.org.”
To read the whole post, visit PerezHilton.com.