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'I don't know when my time is up': How a young mother of two's admin job left her with a deadly illness - as her kids face spending the rest of their lives without her

Australian mother-of-two Joanna McNeill, 34, was diagnosed with silicosis after working in an administration job near a quarry

Australian mother-of-two Joanna McNeill, 34, was diagnosed with silicosis after working in an administration job near a quarry

A young Australian mother-of-two has been left with a deadly lung illness after being exposed to dust while working an administration job at a quarry.

Joanna McNeill, 34, was diagnosed with silicosis - a lung disease caused by inhaling killer silica dust - when she went for a routine health assessment last year after coming back to work from maternity leave. 

Mrs McNeill could feel dust from the quarry covering her face and hair when she left her office building to go home each day.

But she had no idea the tiny particles were slowly scarring her lungs and would one day leave her struggling to breathe.

'This is a life sentence for me and I don't know when my time is up,' she told 9News.

Mrs McNeill pictured with her husband and her two daughters aged two and four-years-old. 'My greatest fear with my kids is I just want to be around for them,' the mother said

Mrs McNeill pictured with her husband and her two daughters aged two and four-years-old. 'My greatest fear with my kids is I just want to be around for them,' the mother said 

'My greatest fear with my kids is I just want to be around for them. I don't want to die early. I just want to be there for them.' 

Silicosis typically affects tradesmen who work with concrete, bricks, tiles, sandstone and granite.

Lung capacity gradually decreases over several years and the disease can be fatal - with some needing a lung transplant to beat the illness. 

But the mother's diagnosis came as a shock given she didn't work in the actual quarry and she thought she wouldn't be at risk.

'This whole process has given me so much anxiety… not knowing what the future holds,' she said.

The mum to two daughters, aged two and four, is backing a push by The Australian Workers Union to better protect workers against the dangers of silica dust.

Silicosis involves silica dust slowly scarring the lungs. The disease typically affects tradesmen who work with concrete, bricks, tiles, sandstone and granite

Silicosis involves silica dust slowly scarring the lungs. The disease typically affects tradesmen who work with concrete, bricks, tiles, sandstone and granite

More than 350 people were diagnosed with silicosis in Australia last year alone. 

In 2020, New South Wales established a dust disease register designed to combat the rise of silicosis among construction workers in the state. 

The register means any instance of silicosis must be reported to Safework NSW. 

What is silicosis?  

Silicosis is an aggressive and incurable lung disease which results from breathing in crystalline silica dust.

The disease has been recognised as occurring in workers exposed to dust for hundreds of years – usually workers who had prolonged exposure to mineral dust, such as while working in mines.

When products containing crystalline silica are cut, crushed, polished or worked with in similar ways, they release very fine dust particles into the air which are usually so small as to be invisible.

These are then inhaled and may become lodged deep within the lungs where they can cause serious damage to your lungs and health.

Exposure to crystalline silica dust can cause chronic bronchitis and emphysema, among other lung diseases. Silica dust exposure symptoms include shortness of breath, severe cough, chest pain and fatigue.

There is no such thing as silica cancer. However, the presence of silica dust in the lungs can greatly increase the risk of developing lung cancer. Lung cancer from silica dust is also more likely if the person has been a smoker.

Silicosis is a disease marked by inflammation and scarring of the lungs. Silicosis is generally a progressive condition, which can lead to the development of other silica dust lung diseases and may lead to death.

 

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