Melissa Vismer says her family has been ‘destroyed’ by her father Brian Coutanche’s mesothelioma diagnosis.
She says that her 64-year-old father, who can no longer see, walk or feed himself because of the disease, is not interested in compensation himself, but wants people affected in the future to be looked after.
‘My family has been absolutely destroyed by this. My little boy Hugo loves my dad so much. He is only two but he knows something is wrong and every day he says “Papa’s eyes sore”. Having to tell him he’s not going to be going on adventures with Papa anymore will be heartbreaking,’ she said.
‘It was my birthday on Friday and I have had to come to terms that this will be my last birthday with dad.’
On average, up to eight people each year between 2012 and 2016 were diagnosed with incurable mesothelioma, caused by inhaling asbestos fibres.
Sufferers in the UK can access a compensation scheme, but there is no provision in Jersey.
Last week Social Security Minister Judy Martin said that support for people with asbestos-related diseases was something that was being discussed by her department, but that she was unsure whether a compensation scheme would be introduced.
Mrs Vismer has now helped to set up the Jersey Asbestos Awareness Facebook page and plans to launch a petition to lobby politicians to introduce a compensation scheme.
‘The States have got to do something about this,’ she said. ‘My dad is never going to see this compensation, but we want to help other people.
‘My dad is not interested in compensation for himself. He wants to know that future victims are going to be looked after.’
She added that people diagnosed with mesothelioma were generally given between 11 months and four years to live.
Mr Coutanche, who was this week transferred to Jersey Hospice Care after his condition deteriorated, previously worked for the States as a housing maintenance officer as well as a carpenter. It is not known at what point in his life he was exposed to asbestos.
Mrs Vismer added that the UK compensation scheme was ‘not much’ and certainly not ‘compensation for a life’, but that any money that could be provided would greatly improve the quality of life for mesothelioma sufferers in their final weeks and months.
She is now working with June Summers Shaw, the wife of former teacher Keith Shaw, on the campaign for a compensation scheme. Mrs Summers Shaw believes her husband, who died in 2012, contracted mesothelioma following repeated exposure to asbestos at Highlands College.
Last week Chris Keates, general secretary of teachers’ union the NASUWT, called on Chief Minister John Le Fondré to ensure that schools and other public buildings were free of asbestos.
‘We have had amazing support from a number of charities,’ Mrs Vismer added. ‘But the States don’t seem to be doing anything.
‘Other people have got this disease and will get this disease and we need to fight for those people and make sure they get some compensation.’ In the UK, victims of mesothelioma who cannot trace a liable employer or an employers’ liability insurer have been able to apply for compensation packages worth an average of £123,000 since 2014.
The UK government estimates that mesothelioma, which often takes 40 to 50 years to present symptoms after exposure to asbestos, results in more than 300 people every year struggling to find a relevant party to sue for damages, because companies become insolvent or insurance records go missing.
