A mum of two boys in Tamworth said it took her a while to accept her terminal diagnosis – Emily-Jane Scandrett was diagnosed with mesothelioma 17 months after she first had symptoms
A newlywed mum received the heartbreaking news she has a terminal illness that usually affects men twice her age.
Emily-Jane Scandrett, 40, was diagnosed with the asbestos-related cancer mesothelioma. She was five weeks pregnant whe she began experiencing symtpoms, but wasn’t diagnosed until 18 months later. Mesothelioma is usually diagnosed in men who worked with asbestos, which was banned in the UK 25 years ago.
“It took a horrid 17 months for me to be diagnosed before I was given the devastating diagnosis of pleural mesothelioma,” Emily-Jane from Tamworth said. “Mesothelioma is on the increase, but knowledge about the disease sadly is not.”
Brave Emily-Jane told the BBC it took a “while” to accept her diagnosis, finding it difficult due to her age, the fact she is newly married and that she has “two adorable young sons and a lovely young stepdaughter.”
She said “I will be eternally thankful to two charities, Mesothelioma UK and Asbestos Support Central England, who have been a wonderful source of help and support during my journey.”
Emily-Jane completed the Hallow 12 Parish Challenge in Worcestershire – a 26-mile hike – with Sue Farrall. Sue was diagnosed with the same illness in 2022, aged 56, and calls asbestos the “devil’s dust.” It was banned in the UK in 1999 but is still present in many public buildings like schools, hospitals, leisure centres and high street stores.
“As these buildings age and deteriorate, more people will be at risk of exposure,” Sue said. “I was devastated when I was given the news. I didn’t think I fitted the demographic of mesothelioma, which is generally associated with older people or men who have knowingly worked with asbestos… The reality is we are all at risk of exposure.”
Sue was once a keen runner, clocking up ten miles every Sunday “just for fun”. She said: “After undergoing surgery in 2023, I set myself the challenge of completing the Hallow 12 Parish Challenge. Our team is called ‘The Broken Ones’ because we’ve all gone through life-changing illnesses. But rather than focus on the past and what we can’t ever do again, we’re focusing on what we can do now.”
To follow Sue’s fundraising efforts, click here. To donate to Emily-Jane, visit here.
