A woman who spent years washing her husband's work clothes had no idea that it would lead to her tragic death, an inquest has heard.
Sandra Dixon passed away aged 71 in August after being repeatedly exposed to asbestos while cleaning her partner's work uniform, Wales Online reports. Assistant coroner for Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire Gareth Lewis described her death as a “sad and classic case of secondary asbestos exposure”.
The inquest heard that Mrs Dixon, who was originally from Cardiff but lived in Sageston, was a popular dance teacher with a love for ballroom and Latin American dancing.
She worked in various administrative roles, but later left her job to look after her two children, James and Rebecca. Meanwhile, her husband Keith was employed in steelworks and power stations. Coroner’s officer James Lang told the hearing on Tuesday: “His clothes would be visibly dusty and sometimes covered in dust."
Keith would often be present at the power station when asbestos lagging was being removed. When he got home from work, Sandra would wash his work clothes, wearing no gloves or other protection as she wiped off the dust.
Mr Lang added: “With no protection she would wash his clothes a couple of times a week. She would clean out his pockets and brush off the dust.”
Decades later, Sandra was given the heartbreaking news that she had advanced mesothelioma. She had started complaining of sudden chest pain and underwent a CT scan in October 2021. Doctors found that she was suffering from the cancer typically linked to asbestos exposure, which develops in the lining that covers the outer surface of some of the body’s organs.
On August 12, 2022 Sandra collapsed at home in the early afternoon and was rushed to Withybush Hospital in Haverfordwest. Her condition quickly deteriorated and she sadly passed away on August 14. A post-mortem carried out by Dr Victor Abiodun advised Mrs Dixon’s medical cause of death as 1A: sepsis secondary to pneumonia and 1B: advanced mesothelioma.
Mr Lewis said: “On August 14, 2022, at Withybush Hospital, Sandra Dixon died from the effects of advanced mesothelioma, with which she had been diagnosed. This is a sad and classic case of secondary asbestos exposure.” Mrs Dixon’s family described her as a “beloved wife, a dearly loved mum and mother-in-law and an adored grandmother”.
Don't miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond. Sign up to our daily newsletter here.
