CNHI
RUSHVILLE —
Thursday morning, Janelle Bedel walked in for an interview wearing a T-shirt, sweatpants and a big smile. Her wardrobe? That means she had just come from the gym, a small yet remarkable action for someone with only one lung. Her smile? That means in late September, the Miles for Meso 5K she single-handedly planned will take place at the Rush County Fairgrounds. Bedel is a 3-year mesothelioma survivor as of this month. Mesothelioma is a disease that most frequently affects older men and women who have been exposed to the fire retardant asbestos; she was diagnosed with the form of lung cancer when she was only 31 years old. After months of tests, confusion, disbelief, surgeries and rehabilitation, Bedel got good news at her latest doctor appointment in New York on Aug. 9. “It went well. I had a clear scan, and [my doctor, Dr. Valerie Rusch] doesn’t need to see me for nine months now,” Bedel said. “She was happy I made it past the three-year mark.” In the meantime, Bedel has been busy. This weekend she will attend a Livestrong retreat in Austin, Texas for cancer survivors. She has been getting her 7-year-old son, Carson, ready for school and helping with a friend’s baby shower. In June, she attended the International Symposium on Malignant Mesothelioma in Washington, D.C. There, she helped inform legislators about mesothelioma and lobbied for House Resolution 771, a motion to officially declare Sept. 26 as National Mesothelioma Awareness Day. It was also where she got the idea to organize a 5K run/walk fundraiser in Rushville. “I met a girl there (in Washington, D.C.), and her father had passed away. She had been raising money for research. She had done a poker run and just all kinds of fundraising all throughout the year. I believe she raised over $100,000,” Bedel said. “She just really motivated me to do it myself.” The local event will be held Sept. 25, the day before the widely recognized Mesothelioma Awareness Day. Registration will be from 7 to 8:45 a.m. at the fairgrounds. The entry fee is $20, and all the proceeds will go to the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation. The event is sponsored by Simmons Law Firm, one of the country’s leading asbestos and mesothelioma litigation firms, and it will be orchestrated by Anytime Fitness. First, second and third place finishers will receive $500, $250 and $100 respectively, along with a three-month membership to Anytime Fitness. Bedel said she will also be walking and jogging in the race. “Come out with the community. It’s a good cause,” Bedel said. “Asbestos affects everyone; everyone can be exposed to it. So in the future, we really do need to get a cure for it.” For more information about Miles for Meso or to register for a race visit www.milesformeso.org. n Approximately three thousand or more Americans develop this malignant tumor that, after a latency period of 10 to 50 years, aggressively invades the linings of the lungs, abdomen, heart or testicles. n Millions more Americans are being put at risk today because of all of the asbestos that remains present in occupational settings – in buildings such as homes, offices and schools. n Asbestos is not banned in the United States. It's highly regulated, but it's still used in several products like brake pads, roof shingles, chalkboards, vinyl floor tile, cement pipes and gaskets. (Source: curemeso.org)