Living Life To The Full - Derek's Story

Up until Christmas 2008 I was fit and healthy. I worked full time as a carpenter and had an extremely full social life taken up by my passion for classic cars, photography and model railway. At 59 years of age I was looking forward to my retirement and having more free time to enjoy with my wife of 36 years and two children.

Everything changed in early 2009. I noticed that I was struggling with everyday tasks. I found that everything was taking me so much longer. I became extremely short of breath after only the lightest of tasks. I thought I had a chest infection.  I went to see my GP who referred me to the Colchester Hospital and then to the Royal Brompton Hospital in London. Numerous tests and scans followed and, in March 2009, I underwent investigative surgery by way of a bronchoscopy and pleural biopsy where part of my lung was removed in the hope that a condition could be diagnosed. 

In April 2009 my worst fears were recognised. I was told that I was suffering from mesothelioma. I was told that it was caused by exposure to asbestos.

My employment history is typical of a man of my generation. I left school at the age of 15 and began a carpentry apprenticeship. In 1973, upon qualifying as a carpenter, I went to work for a local company called Plus Three Contracts where, for a period of 3 years, I was regularly required to cut up boards of asbestolux. As the name suggests the product is made from asbestos. Cutting the sheets was extremely dusty and I was not provided with equipment to prevent me from inhaling the deadly dust.  As a result I was regularly breathing in dangerous asbestos dust and fibre. I had no idea at the time that it was dangerous.

I decided that I was going to do everything I had always wanted to do while I still could. No amount of money could get my life back but I wanted the company to pay for what they have done. I contacted Irwin Mitchell who visited me at home and a legal claim was commenced. 

In December 2009, the company admitted that it was the work that I had done for them that had caused my disease. The company were forced to make an immediate interim payment which would represent part of my final compensation. I knew exactly what I was going to do with the money.  With the help of my son I set about looking for a classic sports car, something I had always wanted. After much deliberation, and a lot of encouragement from my son, I settled on a MG MGB GT 1967 in tartan red.  I have called the car Annie after my mother. 

In April 2010 a final settlement was reached. I continue to live life to the full and attribute my good health to a positive attitude and active life. I attend model railway club once a week and have been doing this for over 20 years. I am in a Camera Club which I attend once a fortnight and I love to get out and about taking photographs.  We go out photographing places of interest, churches, water meadows and have regular trips to the country in the MG. 

I continue to work full time, although I must admit I can now only do 60% of what I could before I became ill, I pick and choose my jobs, if I don’t want to do it I won’t, but I push myself as much as I can. I appreciate everything I have, take every day as it comes, and take nothing for granted. I plan on living life to the full.