John Mina

FACTS ABOUT MESOTHELIOMA:

Mesothelioma has a latency period of 20 to 50 years after the first exposure to asbestos.
It is estimated that there will be about 250,000 cases of Mesothelioma before 2020.
It is estimated that 27.5 million Americans were exposed to asbestos between 1940 and 1979.
About 4,000 People die from Mesothelioma every year, the rare cancer caused by asbestos exposure.
Mesothelioma affects men more frequently than women and is more common in white Americans.
The median age of onset of mesothelioma symptoms is 70. This number is dropping into the 60's.
Seven percent of workers exposed to asbestos have become affected with some type of asbestos disease.
There are currently about 2,000 new cases of Mesothelioma diagnosed per year, mostly in men over the age of 40.
Working with asbestos is the major risk factor for Mesothelioma. A history of asbestos exposure at work is reported in about 70 percent to 80 percent of all cases. However, Mesothelioma has been reported in some individuals without any known exposure to asbestos.
Many asbestos-containing products remain in buildings, ships, industrial facilities and other environments where the fibers can become airborne.
During the 20th century, some 30 million tons of asbestos were used in industrial sites, homes, schools, shipyards and commercial buildings in the U. S.
The name Asbestos was given to this mineral by the Ancient Greeks. The word Asbestos literally means inextinguishable.
It has been well known for many years that asbestos exposure can result in the development of deadly cancers, particularly Mesothelioma.
In the mid 1920s, an English doctor made the first diagnosis of asbestosis, and this was followed by a study which showed that 25% of English asbestos workers showed signs of a related lung disease.
The National Institute of Health in 1978 estimated that eight to eleven million U.S. workers had been exposed to asbestos by that date. In fact, by 1970, it is estimated that some 25 million tons of asbestos were used in the U.S.
Mesothelioma is a disease that is almost 100% preventable; the only known cause is via exposure to the deadly mineral Asbestos . It comes from inhaling the particles of dust as the asbestos degrades; eating away at the lining of your lungs and developing into a deadly cancer.

About me:

I am 35 years old and I live in Boise, Idaho. I have been married to my beautiful wife, Angela, for 15 years. We have a 10 year old daughter, Melody, who is my pride and joy. I am also fortunate to have a great career that I enjoy very much. I have a tremendous feeling of pride and satisfaction in my work. In my spare time I like to spend time with Angela and Melody, keep up on all the latest tech gadgets, watch T.V., listen to music, and surf the web.

I work for the Ada County Sheriff's Office as a Support Specialist in the Emergency Communications Support Division. I provide technical support for CAD (Computer Aided Dispatch), which is used in the sheriff's consolidated 911 communications center for 12 law enforcement, fire and EMS agencies across Ada County. Also, I provide support for MDT's (Mobile Data Terminals) which are used in hundreds of patrol, fire, and EMS vehicles in all agencies. Finally, I co-administer the state-wide 700 MHz digital-trunked radio network. You can read more about the 911 center I work for at: http://www.adasheriff.org/dispatch/

- Computer Certifications Page

- My Photobucket Page

- My Facebook Page

Contact Info:

john@johnmina.us

(208) 991-3040

P.O. Box 190292
Boise, ID 83719-0292

About my dad...

My dad, John Mina Sr., was diagnosed with Mesothelioma on July 11, 2008. Specifically, he has Pleural Mesothelioma. Since last July the size of the malignant cells in his pleura have doubled in size. Mesothelioma is a fatal form of cancer that is normally caused by asbestos exposure. This type of cancer has no remission and the statistics are very grim. A 2003 clinical study found that the median survival rate of patients treated with cisplatin and pemetrexed chemotherapy was ONLY 13.3 months! My dad has gone through nine rounds of chemotherapy and so far it has done nothing to slow down the progression of the cancer. In June, 2009, my dad's oncologist advised my dad that it is time to stop chemotherapy since the treatments are taking a devastating toll on my dad's body. That news has taken away the only glimmer of hope my dad had left.

My dad and me on 4/23/94