Merlin Olsen died Thursday, March 11 after a difficult struggle with mesothelioma, an aggressive and rare cancer linked to asbestos exposure. Olsen was a football Hall of Famer, an accomplished sports broadcaster and TV personality, and was well known in the Mormon community as an example of graceful success and a gentle promoter of family values. Olsen played for the Los Angeles Rams in the 1960′s.
Mesothelioma is a tragic, preventable disease often connected with negligent exposure to asbestos products or fibers. Asbestos fibers enter the body most commonly through ingestion or inhalation and slip by the body’s defenses against foreign debris due to their microscopic size and unique, needle like shape. After passing through the lung or intestinal walls, the fibers eventually come to rest in the mesothelium, a protective soft tissue that encases our vital organs. Once lodged in the mesothelium, the fibers cause severe scarring which after years or even decades can develop into malignant tumors. Once diagnosed, mesothelioma sufferers are rarely expected to live more than two years.
Dick Enberg, a friend of Olsen’s and fellow sports broadcaster said of this of him:
“God doesn’t create perfect men, but he came mighty close when he brought us Merlin Olsen… How privileged I was to call his games as an All Pro, Hall of Famer-to-be Los Angeles Ram, and then to work at his side in the broadcast booth for 12 years. He was meticulous and thorough in his preparation, lessons he had learned as an all A student in high school and college. He was perhaps the brightest to ever play his position in the NFL. He was just as generous as a broadcaster as he was tough as a defensive tackle. I was privileged to be his TV colleague and his friend. I seriously doubt that I shall ever meet another that will measure up to his complete character. He was every part of a gentle giant.”
Unfortunately, mesothelioma takes the lives of some three thousand Americans every year, and nearly thirty times that worldwide. While mesothelioma is incurable, it is preventable through the banishment of asbestos from the home and work place and the enforcement of strict safe handling regulations when handling the substance cannot be avoided. As mesothelioma diagnoses in the USA continue to rise, more and more industries and manufacturers are under suspicion of negligent practices involving asbestos production and distribution throughout the twentieth century.
Asbestos manufacture is illegal in most developed nations at present, and strict handling regulations are in place that help to protect innocent lives.
