A MUM died of cancer from washing her husband's work clothes a decade after the horror disease killed him. Mum-of-three Joan Davies routinely washed husband David's overalls when he worked in power stations from the 1950s-1980s. The problem, later proving fatal, was that David's clothes were covered in asbestos, meaning both of them breathed it in.
Asbestos was a popular mineral due to its heat resistance, but inhaling it causes cancer. According to the couple's children, David would arrive home from work covered in dust from drilling into the deadly substance. Joan then shook out the overalls and washed them in the garage, unwittingly exposing herself to the danger.
David eventually died aged 89 from mesothelioma - a cancer in the lining of the lungs now linked to asbestos. A decade later, Joan also died after suffering the same fate. Son Jeff Davies, now 63, took legal action and has won compensation.
Jeff said: "It's been a long and difficult road but our family has finally secured the truth about our mum's asbestos exposure. "While it can't bring her back, I know establishing what happened would've meant a lot to both of them. "I suppose everyone says it, but mum and dad really were amazing people.
They both had active and productive lives. "They worked so hard to make a great life for themselves and the family and didn't deserve this terrible cancer." David was a power station worker in Cardiff and then Pembroke.
In Pembrokeshire , they became very active members of thei.