The daughters of a Lowestoft woman who died as a result of an industrial disease have appealed for her former workmates to come forward.
Former TV manufacturing inspector Gloria Brady died in July 2022, aged 75, from asbestos-related cancer.
Her daughters Donna Cockrell, 47, and Vicky Cotterill, 37, have urged former colleagues to come forward and shed light on "how she was exposed to hazardous asbestos".
After her death from mesothelioma – a cancer in the lining of the lung caused by exposure to asbestos dust and fibres - the family is now seeking information.
The mum-of-two and grandmother-of-two started to feel unwell with breathing issues in March 2020, and after many visits to her GP and tests at hospital, she was diagnosed with mesothelioma in May 2022.
Following her diagnosis, Mrs Brady instructed asbestos-related disease experts at Irwin Mitchell to investigate her illness to establish whether it was linked to her work history.
However, she died with her daughters by her side in July last year before she could see her case concluded.
Now, after their mum’s death, her daughters are continuing their mum's search for answers in her memory, and are asking her old workmates to come forward with information about the working conditions she would have faced.
They are keen to trace anyone who worked with Mrs Brady at TV Manufacturing Ltd - later, Pye Ltd – based in Lowestoft, from 1963 to 1976.
Natalia Rushworth-White, the expert asbestos-related disease lawyer at Irwin Mitchell, said: "For Donna and Vicky, the loss of their mum is still very recent and they and the family are still coming to terms with Gloria’s unexpected death.
"It’s yet another reminder of the terrible legacy asbestos has created with Gloria developing symptoms many years after her exposure is believed to have occurred.
"Nothing can bring Gloria back but we’re determined to support her daughters in their quest to continue their mum’s search for answers regarding how she was exposed to hazardous asbestos."
Born in 1947, Mrs Brady left school aged 16 and worked as a silkscreen printer, joining TV Manufacturing Ltd, later, Pye Ltd in 1963, before leaving in 1976.
Initially starting manufacturing screens, she went on to become an inspector.
Following her diagnosis, Mrs Brady told her daughters she worked in a large, open factory, with lagged pipework present within the factory.
Her daughters said: "Six months on from mum’s death, we still can’t believe she’s no longer with us.
"The time from her diagnosis to her death was such a whirlwind that we haven’t really had enough time to process what her loss has cost our family.
"She was such a great mum and without her, life can never be the same.
"We didn’t see mum’s initial symptoms as a concern at first and when the consultant finally confirmed mum had cancer we couldn’t believe it.
"We’d never heard of mesothelioma before but now know only too well how dreadful it is.
"Mum was so keen to get to the bottom of what happened to her but neither she nor us ever imagined that the disease would progress so fast and that she would be gone in a couple of months.
"If anyone out there who remembers mum or the factory at the time could come forward and help us shed some more light on this, we’d be so grateful.
"Mum didn’t deserve to have her life with her family cut short in this way and any details would help us fulfil her wish to find out how this happened to her."
Anyone with information that could help the family is asked to contact Natalia Rushworth-White at Irwin Mitchell on 01223 791810 or email natalia.rushworth-white@irwinmitchell.com
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