Carole Anne Hagedorn rd th 3
November 1950 – 20 June 2014 Cambridge, England
Diagnosed with Pleural Mesothelioma in July 2008
Carole’s illness was discovered in 2008 and the prognosis was dire with just a few months to live. After chemotherapy, we were told nothing more could be done but to make her as comfortable as possible. We sought expert help from Dr. Jeremy Steele at St. Bartholomew’s Hospital in London. He arranged for Carole to apply (successfully) for a Gene Therapy Trial at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, under Dr. Dan Sterman. The gene therapy and a radical pleurectomy performed by top surgeon Dr. Loic Lang-‐Lazdunski at Guy’s Hospital in London gave us a precious further 5 years and 10 months of happiness together under Dr. Steele’s care. Carole at our son Alex’s graduation -‐ 2012
Initially shocked by the discovery of a disease that was previously unknown to us, and a poor life expectancy, she rapidly found help and support from the charity, Mesothelioma UK. Through one of their seminars, Carole met Michael Lees who, after the loss of his teacher wife Gina to Mesothelioma, set up the Asbestos in Schools (AiS) campaign. Carole became an enthusiastic supporter of the work of AiS, which has done much to inspire action and alert the UK to the dangers of breathing even small quantities of asbestos dust. Vulnerable children spend so many of their formative years together with their teachers and asbestos in classrooms. Carole was interviewed many times, made speeches and helped to influence those who met her with her dedication to making schools in UK and world-‐wide safe places for teachers to teach, children to learn and the ancillary staff to support them. Carole inspired, and was much loved by, all who Carole in a photo-‐shoot with her knew her as grandmother, close friend, Angie Fordham, wife, sister, mother, linguist, just a few weeks after her union worker, teacher, diagnosis in 2008. traveller, scrabble and bridge player, asbestos campaigner or simply as a loyal friend. Carole, in China, on a three-‐week tour of all the most well known sights six weeks before she died. This shot was taken with an iPad and is untouched – just as it came out on the screen.
I miss Carole every minute of every day.
Vince Hagedorn