A 95-year-old former soldier who had for many years suffered from an illness linked with exposure to asbestos died from the condition earlier this year, a coroner has ruled.
Stanley Ball died from symptoms “overwhelmingly linked” to the industrial disease mesothelioma on Saturday, February 26.
An inquest held into his death at Windsor’s Guildhall on Thursday, June 2, heard how Mr Ball, who spent the latter years of his life living at Glebelands House in Glebelands Road, had been coping with the life-threatening cancer since 2003.
Once diagnosed with the condition, Mr Ball immediately had a biopsy and a procedure to help the removal of fluid on his lungs, and further X-rays in 2006 and 2007 showed no obvious aggression from the disease.
However, in 2009, shortly before his transfer to the care home, Mr Ball was said to be staying in bed for longer periods of the day and was becoming more and more breathless.
While under the care of staff at Glebelands his condition was said to be generally stable, although he often required oxygen and antibiotics to treat chest infections.
Berkshire coroner Peter Bedford explained how Mr Ball began his working career as an apprentice printer before moving on to become a milkman. He then joined the Army and served during the Second World War before returning to his job at the dairy yard.
Mr Ball then changed careers and began working with his brother on building sites, where asbestos was present.
A post mortem examination carried out by Dr Mufeed Ali at Wexham Park Hospital following Mr Ball’s death discovered he had suffered both bronchitis and bronchopneumonia, which he concluded was “consistent with mesothelioma”.
Before coming to a verdict, Mr Bedford said it was “extraordinary” for someone to cope with the condition for so long after initial diagnosis.
“The evidence is overwhelmingly linked to the disease malignant mesothelioma.”
source: getwokingham.co.uk
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