The wife of a former labourer diagnosed with terminal asbestos cancer is appealing to his ex-workmates for help.
George Trotter has been diagnosed with mesothelioma, cancer of the lining of the lung associated with exposure to asbestos, often decades previously.
The 80-year-old, of Blaydon, Gateshead, instructed expert asbestos-disease lawyers to investigate whether his exposure was linked to his career.
Read next: Family pays tribute to 'loving' 75-year-old Northumberland motorcyclist who died in crash
Sadly, not long after his diagnosis, George was diagnosed with dementia and quickly lost mental capacity. His wife of more than 20 years, Deborah Trotter, has taken over the case on her husband's behalf.
The 53-year-old and her legal team are appealing to George’s former workmates for help in establishing how he was exposed to the hazardous material. They would like to gain information about the conditions he faced.
They're particularly keen to hear from anyone who worked at steel manufacturer Wright Anderson & Co Ltd, which was based in Gateshead. George worked at the firm for around eight years, joining as a 15-year-old school leaver in 1958.
Deborah said: "George had been struggling for a while with symptoms but still nothing prepared either of us for the news that he had cancer. It came as a real bolt out of the blue and knocked us both for six.
"George used to try and stay as active as possible but he soon began to struggle because of his condition.
"During his time at Wright Anderson & Co George remembered that there were a few small furnaces around the factory and that products were picked out of the furnaces by women who used tongs and then caught the products in buckets.
"He also remembered that there was a lot of dust and fibres flying around. There was so much that he told me he couldn’t help breathing it in."
Deborah said the months following George's cancer diagnosis have been the toughest of her life.
She said: "I’ve so many questions about how George could’ve been exposed to asbestos, and while we can’t turn the clock back I feel the least we both deserve is some answers. I’d be eternally thankful to anyone who came forward with information. It would mean so much to me."
George told his legal team that the factory was split into three parts – parts one, two and three. He was based in part one and his involved sorting steel ready for it to be put on machines to make steel products.
After leaving Wright Anderson & Co in the late 1960s, he went to work as a labourer on building sites for many years before retiring. The factory has since been demolished.
George was diagnosed with mesothelioma in April 2022, after suffering symptoms of breathlessness. Not long after his diagnosis, his memory worsened.
He was admitted into a nursing home in July as a result of his dementia as Deborah was no longer able to care for him at home.
Emma Bell, a specialist asbestos-related disease lawyer at Irwin Mitchell, is representing George and Deborah.
She said: "George’s case is yet another reminder of the terrible legacy asbestos has created in the North East with his diagnosis coming many years after his exposure is believed to have happened.
"His diagnosis has come as a huge shock to George and Deborah who understandably have a number of questions about how he came into contact with asbestos.
"With George facing an uncertain future we’re appealing to George’s former workmates or anyone else who worked at Wright Anderson & Co, to come forward with information about the conditions he may have faced.
"While we can’t make up for George’s diagnosis and what the future may hold, we’re determined to at least provide him and his wife with the answers they deserve."
Anyone with information is asked to contact Louisa Shaw at Irwin Mitchell on 0191 434 0737 or email at louisa.shaw@irwinmitchell.com
Read next:
Firefighters to run from Newcastle to Leicester for eight-year-old 'football-mad' cancer patient
Call for action on Spittal Beach in Northumberland after it was deemed unsafe due to sewage
Northumberland woman 'felt powerless' and struggled to even watch TV during Long Covid ordeal
Union 'disappointed' by Northumbria Police plans to axe majority of its PCSOs in £12m budget cuts
