Heather’s doctor asked the questions – “was your dad a miner or did he work in construction of any kind.” Answer – yes. She was exposed to asbestos through the dust that permeated his clothing and his car. As a construction worker. Her father was involved in dry wall clean – up and demolition. Much of the dry-wall joint compound he worked on contained asbestos.

Most of the buildings he worked in doing demolition contained asbestos tiles in the floors and in the ceiling.

The insulation around pipes and boilers that he tore out had asbestos insulation.

He would come home from work many days covered in dust, a thick, greyish-white crust covering his work jacket. A jacket she would wear to do her outside chores. A jacket she would put on to go out to the rabbit hutch in the back shed to feed and play with her rabbits. A jacket she would wear because it didn’t matter if it got dirty.

This jacket had asbestos dust all over it. His car had the same dust in it. The dust was just part of her childhood. This dust caused her illness.