Imagine | Summer 2024
A digital magazine from Irwin Mitchell
Imagine | Summer 2024 A digital magazine from Irwin Mitchell
Imagine | Summer 2024
A digital magazine from Irwin Mitchell
In August 2023 Andrew’s father Terence was diagnosed with mesothelioma, a life-limiting illness caused by exposure to asbestos.
Coming to terms with the diagnosis was difficult for the whole family and Terence deteriorated very quickly. He was admitted to hospital and transferred to a nursing home but sadly died in October 2023.
Around the same time, Andrew’s mother was admitted to hospital. Due to her own ill health and a diagnosis of dementia, Terence had been her primary carer, but the symptoms caused by his mesothelioma left him unable to continue in his caring role.
Alongside the practical difficulties of making new arrangements for both his parents, Andrew had to cope with the anticipatory grief of his father’s diagnosis, followed by the grief of bereavement.
It’s very easy to try to be the hero with grief.
Andrew
Emotional and practical support
It naturally became part of his solicitor, Hayley Hill’s role to offer emotional support to the family as part of our specialist mesothelioma team. She referred Andrew and his siblings to our Client Support Manager Jacquie Bates to help them navigate the complexities of their situation.
Jacquie has a background in social care and understands the process of accessing funding for ongoing care when someone is terminally ill. She says, “Often a diagnosis of mesothelioma is unexpected and overwhelming, and people are worried about how they’re going to cope as the disease progresses. I’m often asked to get involved to provide the emotional, the psychological and very practical support.”
Jacquie was able to answer Andrew’s questions, visiting him at home to help him with paperwork from the care home and adult social services so he could access the correct funding for both his parents. Andrew and his siblings praised Jacquie for her empathy, compassion, and her excellent knowledge of the systems they were navigating. She was also well placed to take advice from our Public Law team when she felt that information provided to the family needed verifying.
Jacquie has continued to work with the family following Terence’s death. Nothing has been too much trouble, and her unwavering support has eased the burden on them at an incredibly difficult time.
Andrew said, “When I was put in touch with Jacquie, the wealth of information that came out was just incredible. So many questions were answered straight away, and it just got things on track…Sometimes you just want someone to say this is where you go, this is who you speak to.”
“This is sadly yet another case which puts a spotlight on the devastating impact of asbestos exposure, with the true consequences only becoming clear years after contact has taken place. A diagnosis of mesothelioma not only presents a huge burden to the person living with the condition of coming to terms with their life-limiting illness, but also has a significant impact on their loved ones. Being able to help and support our clients dealing with the most difficult of circumstances is hugely rewarding.”
Hayley Hill – Senior Associate Solicitor, Asbestos-related Disease
“This is sadly yet another case which puts a spotlight on the devastating impact of asbestos exposure, with the true consequences only becoming clear years after contact has taken place. A diagnosis of mesothelioma not only presents a huge burden to the person living with the condition of coming to terms with their life-limiting illness, but also has a significant impact on their loved ones. Being able to help and support our clients dealing with the most difficult of circumstances is hugely rewarding.”
Hayley Hill - Senior Associate Solicitor, Asbestos-related Disease
Living with grief
Alongside the legal and practical support Hayley and Jacquie have given Andrew, both have had an important role to play in supporting him with his grief.
The family has relied on their dark sense of humour to make light of the situation where they could. Andrew shared his experience in our podcast, feeling that speaking out about his own grief would help others in a similar situation.
Andrew says, “Trying to take everything on board I found it so important to try and see different strengths in different people and different fields they could deal with and help with, rather than trying to do it all at once, because that’s when you become overloaded.”
We work closely with Sue Ryder, a charity who offer valuable support around grief. Bianca Neumann, head of bereavement joined the podcast and shared her five tips to support someone who’s grieving.
1
Show that you care – Reach out and show them that they’re not alone.
2
Get comfortable with stillness – Show your loved one that they don’t have to ‘get over it’ quickly.
3
Accept that you can’t fix things – Welcoming your friend’s silence, tears or anger without trying to find a solution can be really helpful.
4
Keep checking in – The pain of grief can feel very far away some days, and others extremely close. A simple ‘how are you doing today’ can mean everything.
5
Help your friend grow around grief – There are good days and bad days, but more and more, people can live their life in a larger circle around their grief.
“Grief can’t be fixed, so don’t go in there and say, “Hey, I can fix this with you and for you.” But being by their side and acknowledging that grief is forever and if you are that friend, that colleague, that person for them, that you’re available for them for this process, however long it takes.” Bianca Neumann
You can read Bianca’s full article and access more information around grief at sueryder.org.
“Grief can’t be fixed, so don’t go in there and say, “Hey, I can fix this with you and for you.” But , being by their side and acknowledging that grief is forever and if you are that friend, that colleague, that person for them, that you’re available for them for this process, however long it takes.” Bianca Neumann
You can read Bianca’s full article and access more information around grief at sueryder.org.
Our Client Support Managers
While our legal experts manage your case, our Client Support Managers are on hand to help you face the challenges of living with a life-limiting illness. They’re someone you can speak to when you’re not sure where to turn. Their services are available at no extra cost.